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Can I create a custom timestamp parameter in Unity Analytics?

Updated

Short answer Yes. Starting with Unity Analytics SDK 6.2.0, you can add a custom TIMESTAMP parameter to your events and send a C# DateTime (or DateTimeOffset) directly. You can also send a timestamp as a string, but it must be in a valid RFC 3339/ISO 8601 format (for example, 2025-12-10T21:40:38.320Z).

Summary:

Unity Analytics validates event parameters against a server-side schema. For timestamps, you can now use a dedicated TIMESTAMP type (introduced in 6.2.0) or continue sending a string in RFC 3339/ISO 8601 format. The most common validation pitfalls are:

  • Using a space between date and time (e.g., “2025-12-10 21:40:38.320”) instead of the ‘T’ delimiter.
  • Omitting a timezone (e.g., missing Z or ±hh:mm).
  • Sending parameters whose names or types don’t match what’s defined in Event Manager.

Follow the steps below to define the parameter, send a hardcoded timestamp, send “now” programmatically, and manually enter test values.

How to set up a custom timestamp:

  1. Define the event and parameter in Event Manager
  • Go to Analytics > Event Manager.
  • Create (or edit) your event.
  • Add a parameter with:
    • Name (for example, timestamp or sessionStartedAt).
    • Type:
      • TIMESTAMP (preferred in SDK 6.2.0+ for direct DateTime/DateTimeOffset), or
      • STRING (if you’ll send a formatted timestamp string).
  1. Use a valid format if sending a string
  • RFC 3339/ISO 8601 examples:
    • UTC: 2025-12-10T21:40:38.320Z
    • With offset: 2025-12-10T16:40:38.320-05:00
  • Avoid space-delimited datetime without timezone (e.g., “2025-12-10 21:40:38.320”), which commonly fails validation.

Examples in C#:

A) Hardcode a timestamp (string)

// Hardcoded RFC 3339 UTC timestamp
CustomEvent myEvent = new CustomEvent("levelCompleted")
{
    { "timestamp", "2025-12-10T21:40:38.320Z" } // parameter name must match Event Manager
};

AnalyticsService.Instance.RecordEvent(myEvent);

B) Generate “now” programmatically (string, RFC 3339)

using System;

// Format “now” as RFC 3339 with millisecond precision in UTC
string nowUtc = DateTimeOffset.UtcNow.ToString("yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ss.fff'Z'");

CustomEvent myEvent = new CustomEvent("levelCompleted")
{
    { "timestamp", nowUtc }
};

AnalyticsService.Instance.RecordEvent(myEvent);

C) Send a C# DateTime directly (TIMESTAMP parameter, SDK 6.2.0+)

using System;

// Ensure the parameter type in Event Manager is TIMESTAMP
CustomEvent myEvent = new CustomEvent("levelCompleted")
{
    { "timestamp", DateTime.UtcNow } // or DateTimeOffset.UtcNow
};

AnalyticsService.Instance.RecordEvent(myEvent);

Manual entry (for testing tools or sample payloads)

  • Valid examples you can paste:
    • 2025-12-10T21:40:38.320Z
    • 2025-12-10T16:40:38.320-05:00
  • Invalid (likely rejected):
    • 2025-12-10 21:40:38.320 // space delimiter, no timezone
    • 2025/12/10T21:40:38Z // wrong date separators
    • 2025-12-10T21:40:38 // missing timezone

Troubleshooting common errors

  • “Additional property … found but was invalid” or “Constant schema ‘false’”
    • The event or parameter name isn’t defined in Event Manager, or the type doesn’t match. Use the exact names and types you configured.
  • “Invalid timestamp format”
    • Ensure the ‘T’ delimiter and include a timezone (Z or ±hh:mm). Example: 2025-12-10T21:40:38.320Z.

Tips

  • Prefer UTC (“Z”) for consistency and easier comparisons across regions.
  • For local time with offset, use DateTimeOffset.Now and a format that includes the offset (e.g., “yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ss.fffK”).

That’s it—define the parameter in Event Manager, then send either a C# DateTime (TIMESTAMP type) or a correctly formatted RFC 3339 string.

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