Python Timestamp

What is this tool?

This page is a Python-oriented timestamp reference that covers generation, parsing, and UTC-safe formatting patterns.

How to use it

Use the examples to standardize timestamp handling in CLI scripts, web services, and ETL jobs. Prefer timezone-aware datetime objects for correctness.

Examples

import time
from datetime import datetime, timezone

# current unix seconds
seconds = int(time.time())

# utc datetime
utc_now = datetime.now(timezone.utc)

# from timestamp
readable = datetime.fromtimestamp(seconds, timezone.utc).isoformat()

Common use cases

• Service event timestamps in APIs.
• ETL pipeline ingestion ordering.
• Automated reporting windows.

FAQ

Should I use time.time or datetime.now?

Use time.time for raw Unix timestamps and datetime for timezone-aware formatting workflows.

How do I get UTC in Python?

Use datetime.now(timezone.utc) for explicit UTC-aware datetime objects.