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How to Convert Unix Timestamps Online — Epoch Time Guide
Learn how Unix timestamps work, how to convert epoch time to dates, and how to avoid seconds vs milliseconds and timezone mistakes.
A Unix timestamp represents time as the number of seconds since January 1, 1970 at 00:00:00 UTC. Developers see timestamps in APIs, logs, databases, analytics exports and authentication tokens.
Utilao's Unix Timestamp Converter converts timestamps to readable dates and dates back to timestamps.
Seconds vs milliseconds
One of the most common timestamp mistakes is confusing seconds and milliseconds. Many Unix timestamps use seconds, such as 1700000000. JavaScript timestamps often use milliseconds, such as 1700000000000.
If the date looks far in the future or near 1970, check whether your value is in seconds or milliseconds.
Why UTC matters
Unix timestamps represent a point in time globally. Time zones only affect how that point is displayed. The same timestamp can appear as different local times depending on the timezone.
For logs and APIs, UTC is usually the safest default. Convert to local time only when showing the date to users.
How to convert Unix timestamps online
- Open the Unix Timestamp Converter.
- Paste the timestamp.
- Convert it to a readable date.
- Change timezone if needed.
- Convert a date back to timestamp when required.
FAQ
What is epoch time?
Epoch time is another name for Unix time: seconds since January 1, 1970 UTC.
Can Unix timestamps be negative?
Yes. Negative values represent dates before the Unix epoch.
Why is my timestamp wrong?
The most common reasons are seconds vs milliseconds confusion and timezone display differences.