Timestamp Converter
Convert between Unix timestamps, ISO dates, UTC, and human-readable formats. All processing happens locally in your browser for maximum privacy and security.
Supports Unix timestamps (seconds/milliseconds), ISO dates, and human-readable dates
Enter a timestamp or date to see the conversion
Understanding Timestamps
What is a Unix Timestamp?
A Unix timestamp is the number of seconds (or milliseconds) that have elapsed since January 1, 1970, 00:00:00 UTC, also known as the Unix Epoch. This standardized format makes it easy to represent and calculate time across different systems and timezones.
Example: 1640995200 = January 1, 2022, 00:00:00 UTC
Seconds vs Milliseconds
Unix timestamps can be in seconds or milliseconds. JavaScript uses milliseconds, while many server-side languages use seconds. Timestamps longer than 10 digits are typically milliseconds.
Seconds: 1640995200 (10 digits)
Milliseconds: 1640995200000 (13 digits)
Common Date Formats
ISO 8601
International standard for date and time representation. Used by JSON and web APIs.
RFC 2822
Internet message format standard, commonly used in email headers and HTTP.
Human Readable
Locale-specific format that's easy for humans to read and understand.
Use Cases
API Development
Convert timestamps from API responses to human-readable dates, or prepare timestamps for API requests in the correct format.
Database Records
Decode Unix timestamps stored in databases to understand when records were created or modified.
Log Analysis
Convert timestamps in log files to readable dates for debugging and analysis purposes.
JavaScript Development
Convert between JavaScript's millisecond timestamps and other systems that use second-based timestamps.
Pro Tips
Always store times in UTC
Store timestamps in UTC/Unix format and convert to local time zones when displaying to users.
Be aware of timezone differences
When converting timestamps, consider the timezone context of both the source and target systems.
Use the right precision
Choose between second and millisecond precision based on your application's needs. Milliseconds are useful for high-precision timing.
Validate input data
Always validate timestamp inputs, as invalid values can cause unexpected behavior in applications.