---
title: sample.alignToNow() function
description: >
  `sample.alignToNow()` shifts time values in input data to align the chronological last point to _now_.
menu:
  flux_v0_ref:
    name: sample.alignToNow
    parent: influxdata/influxdb/sample
    identifier: influxdata/influxdb/sample/alignToNow
weight: 301
flux/v0/tags: [transformations]
---

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`sample.alignToNow()` shifts time values in input data to align the chronological last point to _now_.

When writing static historical sample datasets to **InfluxDB Cloud**, use `alignToNow()`
to avoid losing sample data with timestamps outside of the retention period
associated with your InfluxDB Cloud account.

Input data must have a `_time` column.

##### Function type signature

```js
(<-tables: stream[A]) => stream[A] where A: Record
```

{{% caption %}}
For more information, see [Function type signatures](/flux/v0/function-type-signatures/).
{{% /caption %}}

## Parameters

### tables

Input data. Defaults to piped-forward data (`<-`).




## Examples

### Align sample data to now

```js
import "influxdata/influxdb/sample"

sample.data(set: "birdMigration")
    |> sample.alignToNow()

```