This dataset supports the investigation of viral evolutionary tempo through substitution rate estimation for viral families starting with A to F. It includes input and output files used in Bayesian evolutionary analyses using BEAST, such as multiple sequence alignments (FASTA), XML configuration files, BEAST log and tree files, and associated spreadsheets summarising trace statistics and clock model results. These data were used to evaluate whether substitution rates align with viral taxonomic classification, contributing to the overall assessment of whether tempo is a taxonomic marker.