How should VideoObject.uploadDate include time zone information?

Definition: VideoObject.uploadDate is the date and time when a video was first published, written in ISO 8601 format. Include time zone information in the value so Google does not have to apply the time zone used by Googlebot.

Key facts

• Google's VideoObject structured data documentation defines uploadDate as a DateTime, asks for the date and time when the video was first published in ISO 8601 format, and recommends time zone information.
• The same documentation shows 2024-03-31T08:00:00+08:00 as an uploadDate value, including a numeric offset.
• Google's Googlebot documentation states that, when crawling from IP addresses in the US, Googlebot's time zone is Pacific Time.
• Schema.org defines uploadDate as the date, including time if available, when a media object was uploaded to a site. It accepts Date or DateTime values.
• Google Search Central states that the VideoObject page was last updated on 24 September 2026.

What date does uploadDate describe?

Google's property table describes uploadDate as “the date and time the video was first published”. The guidance calls the value a DateTime, which is the appropriate form when the publication time is known. Schema.org describes the property as the date, including time if available, when a media object was uploaded to the site, and lists both Date and DateTime as valid value types.

The wording leaves one practical distinction: a video can be uploaded to a site before it is first published. The Google documentation does not state how to resolve those two moments when they differ, so this entry follows Google's search-specific wording for the field.

How should the timestamp be written?

Use an ISO 8601 timestamp with a numeric time zone offset. Google's example contains the date, time, and offset in one value:

"uploadDate": "2024-03-31T08:00:00+08:00"

The T separates the calendar date from the clock time. The trailing +08:00 is the time zone information that Google recommends supplying. Keep the value in the VideoObject object that describes the video, whether the markup is JSON-LD or another structured data syntax.

Google's page also shows a date-only uploadDate value in a Microdata example. Its property guidance still describes the field as the date and time of first publication and recommends time zone information, so a complete timestamp is the clearest choice when the time is available.

What happens when the time zone is omitted?

Google says it defaults to the time zone used by Googlebot when uploadDate has no time zone information. The separate Googlebot documentation adds the condition that, when Googlebot crawls from IP addresses in the US, its time zone is Pacific Time. This makes the omitted-zone interpretation dependent on Google's documented crawler context rather than on a zone supplied by the site.

After adding the value, Google instructs site owners to validate structured data with the Rich Results Test and fix critical errors. Inspect the rendered markup or page source and confirm that the timestamp still contains the intended offset.

Related terms

• Structured data
• JSON-LD
• Googlebot-Video

FAQ

Can uploadDate contain only a date?

Google's page includes a date-only Microdata example, 2024-07-19, while its property description specifies a date and time and recommends time zone information. Use the full timestamp when the publication time is available.

Should the value use a named time zone?

The Google guidance recommends time zone information and demonstrates a numeric offset such as +08:00. It does not name a preferred regional time zone for this property.

What is Google's fallback time zone?

Google says the fallback is the time zone used by Googlebot. Its crawler documentation states that Googlebot uses Pacific Time when crawling from IP addresses in the US.

Sources

1. Google Search Central, "Video (VideoObject, Clip, BroadcastEvent) structured data", 24 September 2026
2. Google Search Central, "Googlebot", 3 February 2026
3. Schema.org, "uploadDate", undated

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