PHP Unix Timestamp Guide

PHP provides excellent built-in functions for working with Unix timestamps. The time() function and date() function are the most commonly used, along with the DateTime class for more advanced operations. This guide covers all essential timestamp operations in PHP.

How to get the current epoch time

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time()

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More PHP

Convert from human-readable date to epoch

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strtotime("15 November 2018")

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(converts most English date texts) or: date_create('11/15/2018')->format('U') (using DateTime class) More PHP

Convert from epoch to human-readable date

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date(output format, epoch);

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Output format example: 'r' = RFC 2822 date, more PHP examples

Additional PHP Examples

Using DateTime Class

<?php
// Create DateTime from epoch
$date = new DateTime();
$date->setTimestamp(1609459200);
echo $date->format('Y-m-d H:i:s');

// Convert date string to epoch
$date = new DateTime('2024-01-01 12:00:00');
echo $date->getTimestamp();

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The DateTime class provides object-oriented interface for date/time operations.

Formatting Options

<?php
$epoch = 1609459200;

// RFC 2822 format
echo date('r', $epoch);

// ISO 8601 format
echo date('c', $epoch);

// Custom format
echo date('Y-m-d H:i:s', $epoch);

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PHP's date() function supports many format specifiers for custom date formatting.

About PHP Unix Timestamps

PHP provides excellent built-in functions for working with Unix timestamps. The time() function and date() function are the most commonly used, along with the DateTime class for more advanced operations. PHP makes it easy to get current timestamps, convert between timestamps and dates, and format dates in various ways. This guide covers all essential timestamp operations in PHP.

Related guides: Check out our guides for other programming languages: JavaScript, Python, Java, and more. For timestamp conversion tools, visit our Tools page.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get the current Unix timestamp in PHP?

Use time() to get the current Unix timestamp in seconds, or microtime(true) for microsecond precision. The time() function is the most commonly used method for getting Unix timestamps in PHP.

How do I convert a Unix timestamp to a date in PHP?

Use date() function with a format string: date("Y-m-d H:i:s", $timestamp). For more advanced operations, use the DateTime class: new DateTime("@$timestamp") or DateTime::createFromFormat("U", $timestamp).

What is the difference between time() and strtotime()?

time() returns the current Unix timestamp, while strtotime() converts a date string to a Unix timestamp. Use time() for current time, and strtotime() for parsing date strings like "2024-01-01" or "next Monday".