Unix Timestamp Converter

What Is a Unix Timestamp?

A Unix timestamp (also called Epoch time, POSIX time, or Unix Epoch) is the number of seconds that have elapsed since January 1, 1970 00:00:00 UTC, not counting leap seconds. It is widely used in programming, databases, APIs, and system logs as a simple, timezone-independent way to represent a point in time.

Common Uses for Unix Timestamps

• Storing dates in databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB)
• API responses and request parameters
• Server log files and debugging
• JWT tokens (issued-at and expiration claims)
• Cron job scheduling and build timestamps
• Git commit timestamps

Seconds vs Milliseconds

Unix timestamps in seconds are 10 digits (until November 2286). JavaScript, Java, and many modern APIs use millisecond precision, which adds three extra digits (13 digits total). This converter automatically detects whether your input is in seconds or milliseconds based on its length.

How to Get the Current Unix Timestamp

• JavaScript: Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000)
• Python: import time; int(time.time())
• PHP: time()
• Bash: date +%s
• Ruby: Time.now.to_i
• Go: time.Now().Unix()