# Postgres write timestamp error
**URL:** https://discourse.nodered.org/t/postgres-write-timestamp-error/72643
**Category:** General
**Tags:** database, function-node
**Created:** [23 December 2022 17:14 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/postgres-write-timestamp-error/72643 "2022-12-23T17:14:24Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@kgakere](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/kgakere)
#### Post date: [23 December 2022 17:14 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/postgres-write-timestamp-error/72643/1 "2022-12-23T17:14:24Z")
Hi, i have a postgesdb that i am trying to inject a timestamp into a column.
I have used a function node to convert the time to an appropriate format but still have errors.
Kindly assist;
error: syntax error at or near "20"
2022-12-23 20:10:57.716
---
### Author:  [@Buckskin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Buckskin)
#### Post date: [23 December 2022 22:08 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/postgres-write-timestamp-error/72643/2 "2022-12-23T22:08:57Z")
Try removing the SSS from the format. I do not use postgres but looking at the allowed date formats none of them include anything other than YYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ss.
You could also try epoch if that is available to you as that seem as though it may be valid
---
### Author:  [@E1cid](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/E1cid)
#### Post date: [23 December 2022 22:40 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/postgres-write-timestamp-error/72643/3 "2022-12-23T22:40:57Z")
You can not `$now().format()` You can `$moment().format()`
But maybe we are not seeing all the picture.
---
### Author:  [@kgakere](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/kgakere)
#### Post date: [24 December 2022 05:38 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/postgres-write-timestamp-error/72643/4 "2022-12-24T05:38:06Z")
Tried removing the millisec but still the error is persisting
---
### Author:  [@kgakere](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/kgakere)
#### Post date: [24 December 2022 05:44 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/postgres-write-timestamp-error/72643/5 "2022-12-24T05:44:01Z")
```auto
[
{
"id": "5a2b67f8e1276282",
"type": "tab",
"label": "Flow 8",
"disabled": false,
"info": "",
"env": []
},
{
"id": "20f3f0eca8369002",
"type": "postgresql",
"z": "5a2b67f8e1276282",
"name": "",
"query": "INSERT INTO water_level_tank1(time) VALUES ({{msg.payload}}); \n",
"postgreSQLConfig": "b91b213bbbb40562",
"split": false,
"rowsPerMsg": 1,
"outputs": 1,
"x": 730,
"y": 220,
"wires": [
[
"3f6eb8fe286e1404"
]
]
},
{
"id": "3f6eb8fe286e1404",
"type": "debug",
"z": "5a2b67f8e1276282",
"name": "debug 11",
"active": true,
"tosidebar": true,
"console": false,
"tostatus": false,
"complete": "false",
"statusVal": "",
"statusType": "auto",
"x": 900,
"y": 220,
"wires": []
},
{
"id": "c6af5f21fd73e3fe",
"type": "inject",
"z": "5a2b67f8e1276282",
"name": "",
"props": [
{
"p": "payload"
}
],
"repeat": "",
"crontab": "",
"once": false,
"onceDelay": 0.1,
"topic": "",
"payloadType": "str",
"x": 290,
"y": 180,
"wires": [
[
"6c3a8e033f6fb0f4"
]
]
},
{
"id": "a5bef75bc183fb2b",
"type": "debug",
"z": "5a2b67f8e1276282",
"name": "",
"active": true,
"tosidebar": true,
"console": false,
"tostatus": false,
"complete": "false",
"statusVal": "",
"statusType": "auto",
"x": 910,
"y": 140,
"wires": []
},
{
"id": "6c3a8e033f6fb0f4",
"type": "change",
"z": "5a2b67f8e1276282",
"name": "",
"rules": [
{
"t": "set",
"p": "payload",
"pt": "msg",
"to": "$moment().format('YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ss')",
"tot": "jsonata"
}
],
"action": "",
"property": "",
"from": "",
"to": "",
"reg": false,
"x": 500,
"y": 180,
"wires": [
[
"a5bef75bc183fb2b",
"20f3f0eca8369002"
]
]
},
{
"id": "b91b213bbbb40562",
"type": "postgreSQLConfig",
"name": "",
"host": "127.0.0.1",
"hostFieldType": "str",
"port": "5432",
"portFieldType": "num",
"database": "postgres",
"databaseFieldType": "str",
"ssl": "false",
"sslFieldType": "bool",
"applicationName": "",
"applicationNameType": "str",
"max": "10",
"maxFieldType": "num",
"idle": "1000",
"idleFieldType": "num",
"connectionTimeout": "10000",
"connectionTimeoutFieldType": "num",
"user": "postgres",
"userFieldType": "str",
"password": "abcd1234",
"passwordFieldType": "str"
}
]
```
---
### Author:  [@bakman2](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/bakman2)
#### Post date: [24 December 2022 07:03 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/postgres-write-timestamp-error/72643/6 "2022-12-24T07:03:20Z")
> [@kgakere](#):
>
> `INSERT INTO water_level_tank1(time) VALUES ({{msg.payload}})`
Could you try instead (timestamp should be inserted as a string):
```auto
INSERT INTO water_level_tank1(time) VALUES ('{{{ msg.payload }}}')
```
note i don't use postgres, but this is what [documentation](https://flows.nodered.org/node/node-red-contrib-postgresql) states.
---
### Author:  [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)
#### Post date: [24 December 2022 09:09 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/postgres-write-timestamp-error/72643/7 "2022-12-24T09:09:16Z")
Are you trying to add the current time? If so then I would be surprised if Postgres does not have an option to automatically set a column to the current time when the record is added.
---
### Author:  [@kgakere](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/kgakere)
#### Post date: [25 December 2022 08:01 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/postgres-write-timestamp-error/72643/8 "2022-12-25T08:01:25Z")
Yes there is a default way to insert timestamp.
Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.
---
### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [8 January 2023 08:02 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/postgres-write-timestamp-error/72643/9 "2023-01-08T08:02:17Z")
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