Convert timestamps from API logs and event payloads

Problem

API logs and event payloads often mix timestamp units. One service may emit epoch seconds, another JavaScript client may emit milliseconds, and a queue or database export may store microseconds. If you guess the unit manually, the converted date can be years away from the real event time.

When to use this

• A JSON response or webhook payload contains fields such as created_at, updated_at, expires_at, issued_at, or processed_at.
• A server log line has 10, 13, or 16 digit epoch values and you need to compare event order.
• A database row stores epoch values and the UI shows a different date than expected.
• A scheduled job or queue event needs to be compared with a UTC deployment or incident timeline.

Steps

1. Step 1

   Copy the raw timestamp context

   Copy the timestamp value, JSON fragment, log line, or a few related log lines. Keep nearby field names such as created_at or updated_at because they make the converted output easier to verify.

2. Step 2

   Paste into Unix Timestamp Converter

   Paste the value or log snippet into Unix Timestamp Converter. The tool detects likely epoch seconds, milliseconds, and microseconds without uploading the copied data.

3. Step 3

   Check the detected unit

   Review whether each detected value was interpreted as seconds, milliseconds, or microseconds. A 10 digit current-era value is usually seconds, 13 digits is usually milliseconds, and 16 digits is usually microseconds.

4. Step 4

   Compare UTC and local time

   Use UTC for logs, APIs, and incident timelines. Use local time only when comparing what a user saw in a browser or support screenshot.

5. Step 5

   Follow related data

   If the timestamp is inside JSON, use JSON Formatter first. If it came from response headers, use HTTP Header Parser to keep date headers and cache behavior in the same debugging notes.

Example

{
  "created_at": 1704067200,
  "updated_at": 1704067200123,
  "processed_at": 1704067200123456
}

1704067200 -> seconds -> 2024-01-01T00:00:00.000Z
1704067200123 -> milliseconds -> 2024-01-01T00:00:00.123Z
1704067200123456 -> microseconds -> 2024-01-01T00:00:00.123Z

Common mistakes

FAQ