About Time Zones Used in Data Cloud

Data Cloud uses UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) as its default time zone.

When ingesting data from a data stream, any datetime values that do not include time zone information are treated as UTC.

Time Zones by Feature

Data Cloud references different time zones depending on the feature being used.

Note that discrepancies can occur when the user time zone and the organization time zone are configured differently.

Features That Use the User's Time Zone

The following features display timestamps based on your individual user settings:

• Data Explorer

• Reports

Features That Use the Organization's Time Zone

The following features use the time zone configured for your Salesforce organization:

• Segments

• Calculated Insights

Note: If a date offset caused by a time zone mismatch causes segments or calculated insights to filter incorrectly, we recommend aligning both the user and organization time zones. For instructions, refer to Change the Default Time Zone for a User or Organization.

How to Align Time Zones

By ingesting data with explicit time zone information, you can prevent data from being processed in an unintended time zone.

The following example uses CSV file ingestion via Amazon S3 to illustrate the recommended configuration and expected behavior.

Step 1: Prepare the Ingested Data

Add time zone information to the datetime values in the file before ingestion.

The following shows the recommended configuration when ingesting data timestamped at 2025/9/3 12:00 in Japan Standard Time (JST, UTC+9:00), with the user's time zone set to JST.

Recommended Configuration

Patterns That Result in Unintended Timestamps

About the DateTime Format

The DateTime format string is defined when creating a new data stream. While the format may be set automatically when ingesting a CSV file, manually correct it if the inferred value does not match your data.

Navigation path:

1. Data Streams > New

2. Select Amazon S3, then click Next

3. Select a connection

4. Enter the file name, then click Next

5. Under Supported Fields, click the ▼ icon next to the target field

6. Select DateTime from the list

7. Select Enter format manually, then enter the date format string

Note: The format string is case-sensitive. For example, uppercase MM represents months, while lowercase mm represents minutes.

For a full reference of date and datetime pattern strings, see Date and DateTime Formats.

Step 2: Create a Derived Field Using a Formula Field

You can create a derived field with a converted timestamp by using a Formula Field when setting up a data stream.

This approach does not require editing the source file, but must be configured individually for each data stream. Note that Formula Fields are not supported for data streams using a hidden connector.

To configure ingested data to be treated as JST (UTC+09:00), use the following steps.

The formula subtracts 9 hours from the UTC datetime to offset the system's automatic conversion.

Configuration Steps:

1. Data Streams > New

2. Select Amazon S3, then click Next

3. Select a connection

4. Enter the file name, then click Next

5. Click New Formula Field

6. Fill in the following fields and click Save:
   Replace ◯◯ with the actual DateTime field name from the Attributes tab.

   • Field Display Label: (any name)

   • Return Data Type: DateTime

   • Formula: DATEADD('h', -9, sourceField['◯◯'])