# UNIX\_TIMESTAMP

## Syntax

```sql
UNIX_TIMESTAMP()
UNIX_TIMESTAMP(date)
```

## Description

If called with no argument, returns a Unix timestamp (seconds since `1970-01-01 00:00:00` [UTC](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/data-types/string-data-types/character-sets/internationalization-and-localization/coordinated-universal-time)) as an unsigned integer. If `UNIX_TIMESTAMP()` is called with a date argument, it returns the value of the argument as seconds since `1970-01-01 00:00:00` UTC. date may be a [DATE](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/data-types/date-and-time-data-types/date) string, a [DATETIME](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/data-types/date-and-time-data-types/datetime) string, a [TIMESTAMP](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/sql-functions/date-time-functions/timestamp-function), or a number in the format `YYMMDD` or `YYYYMMDD`. The server interprets date as a value in the current [time zone](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/data-types/string-data-types/character-sets/internationalization-and-localization/time-zones) and converts it to an internal value in [UTC](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/data-types/string-data-types/character-sets/internationalization-and-localization/coordinated-universal-time). Clients can set their time zone as described in [time zones](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/data-types/string-data-types/character-sets/internationalization-and-localization/time-zones).

The inverse function of `UNIX_TIMESTAMP()` is [FROM\_UNIXTIME()](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/sql-functions/date-time-functions/from_unixtime)

`UNIX_TIMESTAMP()` supports [microseconds](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/sql-functions/date-time-functions/microseconds-in-mariadb).

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Current" %}
Timestamps in MariaDB have a maximum value of `4294967295`, equivalent to `2106-02-07 06:28:15`. This is due to the underlying 32-bit limitation. Using the function on a timestamp beyond this will result in `NULL` being returned. Use [DATETIME](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/data-types/date-and-time-data-types/datetime) as a storage type if you require dates beyond this.
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="< 11.5" %}
Timestamps in MariaDB have a maximum value of `2147483647`, equivalent to `2038-01-19 05:14:07`. This is due to the underlying 32-bit limitation. Using the function on a timestamp beyond this will result in `NULL` being returned. Use [DATETIME](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/data-types/date-and-time-data-types/datetime) as a storage type if you require dates beyond this.
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

### Error Handling

Returns `NULL` for wrong arguments to `UNIX_TIMESTAMP()`.

## Examples

```sql
SELECT UNIX_TIMESTAMP();
+------------------+
| UNIX_TIMESTAMP() |
+------------------+
|       1269711082 |
+------------------+

SELECT UNIX_TIMESTAMP('2007-11-30 10:30:19');
+---------------------------------------+
| UNIX_TIMESTAMP('2007-11-30 10:30:19') |
+---------------------------------------+
|                     1196436619.000000 |
+---------------------------------------+

SELECT UNIX_TIMESTAMP("2007-11-30 10:30:19.123456");
+----------------------------------------------+
| unix_timestamp("2007-11-30 10:30:19.123456") |
+----------------------------------------------+
|                            1196411419.123456 |
+----------------------------------------------+

SELECT FROM_UNIXTIME(UNIX_TIMESTAMP('2007-11-30 10:30:19'));
+------------------------------------------------------+
| FROM_UNIXTIME(UNIX_TIMESTAMP('2007-11-30 10:30:19')) |
+------------------------------------------------------+
| 2007-11-30 10:30:19.000000                           |
+------------------------------------------------------+

SELECT FROM_UNIXTIME(FLOOR(UNIX_TIMESTAMP('2007-11-30 10:30:19')));
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| FROM_UNIXTIME(FLOOR(UNIX_TIMESTAMP('2007-11-30 10:30:19'))) |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| 2007-11-30 10:30:19                                         |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
```

## See Also

* [FROM\_UNIXTIME()](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/sql-functions/date-time-functions/from_unixtime)

<sub>*This page is licensed: GPLv2, originally from*</sub> [<sub>*fill\_help\_tables.sql*</sub>](https://github.com/MariaDB/server/blob/main/scripts/fill_help_tables.sql)

{% @marketo/form formId="4316" %}