When {prodname} emits event records, the timezone values for timestamp fields in the record can vary depending on the type and configuration of the data source.
To maintain data consistency and precision within data processing pipelines and applications, you can use the `Timezone Converter` SMT to ensure that event records use a consistent timezone to represent timestamp data.
Along with the specified timezone, the SMT also provides configuration options to include or exclude specific fields from timezone conversion using the `include.list` and `exclude.list` configuration options.
Configure the `TimezoneConverter` SMT in the Kafka Connect configuration for a connector to convert the time-based fields in an event record to a target timezone.
For example, to convert all timestamp fields in an event record from UTC to the `Pacific/Easter` timezone, add the following lines to your connector configuration:
.Event record value after processing by the `TimezoneConverter` transformation
====
The SMT converts the original UTC value of the `created_at` field to the time in the target `Pacific/Easter` timezone that is specified in the xref:basic-example-timezone-converter[Basic configuration] example.
The following example shows how you might use the `include.list` option in the SMT configuration to convert only the `created_at`, and `updated_at` timestamp fields in an event record.
For example, to exclude the `updated_at` timestamp field in an event record from timezone conversion, use the `exclude.list` configuration option as in the following example:
`topic:<topicname>:<fieldname>` :: Matches events from the specified topic name, and converts values for the specified fields only.
`<matchname>:<fieldname>` :: Applies a heuristic matching algorithm to match against the table name of the source information block, if present; otherwise, matches against the topic name.
The SMT converts values for the specified field name only.
|A comma-separated list of rules that specify the fields to exclude from timezone conversion.
Specify rules by using one of the following formats:
`source:<tablename>` :: Matches {prodname} change events with source information blocks that have the specified table name.
The SMT excludes all time-based fields in the matched table from conversion.
`source:<tablename>:<fieldname>` :: Matches {prodname} change events with source information blocks that have the specified table name.
The SMT excludes from conversion fields in the specified table that match the specified field name.
`topic:<topicname>` :: Matches events from the specified topic name, and excludes from conversion all time-based fields in the topic.
`topic:<topicname>:<fieldname>` :: Matches events from the specified topic name, and excludes from conversion any fields in the topic that have the specified name.
`<matchname>:<fieldname>` :: Applies a heuristic matching algorithm to match against the table name of the source information block, if present; otherwise, matches against the topic name.
The SMT excludes from conversion only fields that have the specified name.