Current Unix Timestamp: -
A Unix timestamp is the number of seconds elapsed since January 1, 1970 00:00:00 UTC (the Unix epoch). It is a timezone-independent integer that represents any point in time precisely — used in APIs, databases, JWT tokens, and log files worldwide.
Unix timestamps in common languages
| Language | Get current timestamp (seconds) |
|---|---|
| JavaScript | Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000) |
| Python | import time; int(time.time()) |
| Go | time.Now().Unix() |
| Java | Instant.now().getEpochSecond() |
| PHP | time() |
| Bash | date +%s |
When to Use the Timestamp Converter
- When an API returns a Unix timestamp and you need to verify it represents the date you expect before using it in your application.
- When writing a database query or log filter and you need to convert a human-readable date range to Unix timestamps for the
WHEREclause. - When debugging API requests or responses that include
created_at,expires_at, oriat/expfields (common in JWT tokens). - When calculating time differences — converting two dates to timestamps first lets you subtract them to get an exact duration in seconds.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Unix timestamp?
A Unix timestamp is the number of seconds elapsed since January 1, 1970 00:00:00 UTC (the Unix epoch). It is a timezone-independent integer that represents any moment in time precisely, used in databases, APIs, JWT tokens (exp/iat fields), log files, and system clocks worldwide.
How do I get the current Unix timestamp in JavaScript?
Use Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000) for seconds, or Date.now() for milliseconds. Date.now() is the most reliable cross-browser method. In Node.js you can also use process.hrtime() for nanosecond precision.
What is the difference between seconds and milliseconds timestamps?
Unix timestamps are traditionally in seconds (10 digits, e.g. 1715000000). JavaScript's Date.now() returns milliseconds (13 digits, e.g. 1715000000000). Many APIs expect seconds — divide by 1000 when sending from JavaScript. You can usually tell which is which by digit count: 10 digits = seconds, 13 digits = milliseconds.
What is the Year 2038 problem?
32-bit signed integers can only store values up to 2,147,483,647, which corresponds to January 19, 2038 at 03:14:07 UTC. Systems that store Unix timestamps in a 32-bit integer will overflow on that date and roll back to 1901. Modern systems use 64-bit integers, which can represent dates billions of years into the future.
How do I get the current Unix timestamp in Python?
Use import time; int(time.time()) for seconds, or time.time() for a float with sub-second precision. For milliseconds: int(time.time() * 1000).
Are Unix timestamps affected by daylight saving time?
No. Unix timestamps are always in UTC and have no concept of timezones or daylight saving. They count seconds from the epoch in UTC. Timezone conversion only happens when you display a timestamp as a human-readable date.
Last updated: May 2026