Timestamp Converter

Result

Online two-way Unix timestamp and datetime converter. Auto-detects seconds/milliseconds and supports local and UTC timezones.

How to Use & FAQ5 steps · 8 Q&A

Timestamp Converter

Online two-way Unix timestamp and datetime converter. Auto-detects seconds/milliseconds and supports local and UTC timezones.

How to Use

  1. Enter a timestamp or dateFor example 1700000000 (seconds) or 2024-01-01 12:00:00; milliseconds can be the 13-digit form.
  2. Choose the unitAuto-detect seconds/milliseconds or set it manually to match your data.
  3. Choose the timezoneSwitch between Local and UTC to see how the same timestamp is displayed differently.
  4. View the resultOutputs the second/millisecond timestamp, local time, UTC time and ISO 8601; copy whichever you need.
  5. Two-way conversion tipsYou can convert both ways — handy for reconciling log times with API responses.

FAQ

What is a Unix timestamp?

A Unix timestamp is the number of seconds (or milliseconds) since 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC. It uniformly represents a point in time and is timezone-independent — the same instant yields the same value in any timezone.

How do I tell seconds from milliseconds?

A common rule is by digit count: 10 digits is usually seconds (exhausted around 2286), 13 digits milliseconds. This tool auto-detects them and also lets you specify the unit, avoiding a 1000x error from mixing them up.

Why does the converted time differ from the server?

The timestamp itself is timezone-independent; only the displayed date is affected by timezone. Make sure the chosen timezone matches expectation: local time and UTC can differ by hours, which is normal, not a miscalculation.

Can it convert dates before 1970 or far in the future?

Yes. Timestamps may be negative (before 1970-01-01) and can represent far-future dates; this tool parses them as integers and is not limited by that.

What is the ISO 8601 format?

An international date-time format such as 2024-01-01T12:00:00Z, where the trailing Z means UTC; with offset it is 2024-01-01T20:00:00+08:00. It is widely used in APIs and logs for unambiguous cross-timezone exchange.

Can timestamps overflow (the 2038 problem)?

A 32-bit signed integer storing second-level timestamps overflows on 2038-01-19 — the "2038 problem" of legacy systems. This tool and most modern languages/systems use 64-bit integers with a huge range, so there is nothing to worry about.

How do I get the current timestamp in the frontend?

In JavaScript, Date.now() gives milliseconds and Math.floor(Date.now()/1000) gives seconds; Node is the same. Agree on the unit with the backend to avoid a 1000x mismatch.

What database type should I store timestamps in?

For recording and computing, a BIGINT integer is safest — easy to sort and timezone-agnostic. For display with timezone, store TIMESTAMP / DATETIME or an ISO 8601 string. Do not store local-formatted strings, or it breaks across timezones.