Getting Data In

How to fix an incorrectly indexed timestamp?

mholden37
Engager

Splunk is not showing the correct time on the events. The time that Splunk gives the log is 5 hours behind the time that it is supposed to be. The time is correct on the server and the logs but Splunk is saying it is 5 hours behind. For the below timestamp it is giving it a time of 8:48:06.000 AM when it should be 1:48:06.000PM.

2017-02-22T13:48:06Z

In props.conf I have TIME_FORMAT=%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ

I have also tried changing the timezone to TZ = UTC and that did not fix it.

0 Karma
1 Solution

richgalloway
SplunkTrust
SplunkTrust

If your Splunk is in the US eastern time zone then 13:48:06Z correctly converts to 08:48:06 EST. The "Z" says the timestamp is in UTC so Splunk converts it to the local time zone. If that is not the expected behavior then change the server to specify the correct time zone in its events.

---
If this reply helps you, Karma would be appreciated.

View solution in original post

aaraneta_splunk
Splunk Employee
Splunk Employee

@mholden37 - Did one of the answers below help provide a solution your question? If yes, please click “Accept” below the best answer to resolve this post and upvote anything that was helpful. If no, please leave a comment with more feedback. Thanks.

0 Karma

sloshburch
Ultra Champion

What happens when you set the time to be parsed automatically?
Alternatively, try using the strptime to validate the string parsing.
For example, you could also try %FT%TZ as per https://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/Splunk/latest/SearchReference/Commontimeformatvariables

0 Karma

richgalloway
SplunkTrust
SplunkTrust

If your Splunk is in the US eastern time zone then 13:48:06Z correctly converts to 08:48:06 EST. The "Z" says the timestamp is in UTC so Splunk converts it to the local time zone. If that is not the expected behavior then change the server to specify the correct time zone in its events.

---
If this reply helps you, Karma would be appreciated.
Got questions? Get answers!

Join the Splunk Community Slack to learn, troubleshoot, and make connections with fellow Splunk practitioners in real time!

Meet up IRL or virtually!

Join Splunk User Groups to connect and learn in-person by region or remotely by topic or industry.

Get Updates on the Splunk Community!

Why Splunk Customers Should Attend Cisco Live 2026 Las Vegas

Why Splunk Customers Should Attend Cisco Live 2026 Las Vegas     Cisco Live 2026 is almost here, and this ...

What Is the Name of the USB Key Inserted by Bob Smith? (BOTS Hint, Not the Answer)

Hello Splunkers,   So you searched, “what is the name of the usb key inserted by bob smith?”  Not gonna lie… ...

Automating Threat Operations and Threat Hunting with Recorded Future

    Automating Threat Operations and Threat Hunting with Recorded Future June 29, 2026 | Register   Is your ...