Random Timestamp Generator
Generate random Unix timestamps and ISO 8601 timestamps with customizable date ranges for testing and development
Our random timestamp generator helps you generate random timestamps for application testing, database population, and development needs. Generate-Random.org provides a free timestamp generator that creates random timestamps in Unix epoch format and ISO 8601 format. This unix timestamp tool supports customizable date ranges from 1970-01-01 to present day. Generate up to 100 timestamps at once with configurable date ranges. Perfect for test data generation, QA testing, and application development. All timestamps generated using cryptographically secure random number generation. No signup required, completely free.
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What is a Random Timestamp Generator?
A Random Timestamp Generator creates Unix epoch timestamps (seconds since January 1, 1970 00:00:00 UTC) and ISO 8601 timestamps for testing, development, and data generation purposes. Our generator uses cryptographically secure algorithms to ensure truly random timestamp selection within your specified date range. Timestamps can range from 0 (1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC) to the present day.
Random timestamps are essential for populating test databases, QA testing of date/time-dependent features, generating sample datasets, and validating time-based functionality. Our tool supports both Unix timestamp format (1234567890) used by most programming languages and databases, and ISO 8601 format (2009-02-13T23:31:30+00:00) which is the international standard for date/time representation. Perfect for test data generation, application testing, logging systems, and development workflows. Each generated timestamp includes Unix format, ISO 8601 format, and human-readable format.
Timestamp Generator Configuration Options
Timestamp Format (Unix vs ISO 8601)
Date Range (Start & End Dates)
Count (1-100 Timestamps)
How to Generate Random Timestamps
[STEP 1] Choose Format
Select between Unix timestamp (seconds since epoch) or ISO 8601 format (international standard with timezone) based on your application needs.
[STEP 1] Set Date Range
Configure start date and end date to restrict generation to specific time periods like recent months, historical data, or custom ranges.
[STEP 1] Set Count
Choose how many timestamps to generate (1-100) based on your testing or data generation requirements.
[STEP 1] Generate & Export
Click generate to create random timestamps with complete metadata. Export to TXT, CSV, or JSON format for use in your applications.
Common Use Cases for Random Timestamps
- _ Database Population: Fill test databases with realistic timestamp values for created_at, updated_at, published_at, and event_timestamp columns
- _ API Testing: Test API endpoints that accept timestamp parameters, date range filters, and time-based queries
- _ Log Generation: Create sample log files with realistic timestamps for testing log parsers, analyzers, and monitoring systems
- _ Historical Data Testing: Generate timestamps in specific date ranges to test historical data queries, reports, and analytics
- _ Time-Based Features: Test scheduling systems, reminder features, expiration logic, and time-based business rules
- _ Data Migration: Create realistic timestamps for migrating data between systems, backfilling missing timestamps, and testing ETL pipelines
Technical Details: Random Timestamp Generation
Our timestamp generator uses PHP's random_int() function with cryptographically secure random number generation (CSPRNG) to create random timestamps within your specified date range. Timestamps are provided in Unix format, ISO 8601 format, and human-readable format with complete date/time component breakdown.
// Random Timestamp Generation Process
Input: format, start_date, end_date, count
1. Parse date strings to Unix timestamps:
start_timestamp = strtotime(start_date + ' 00:00:00')
end_timestamp = strtotime(end_date + ' 23:59:59')
// Converts dates to Unix timestamp range
2. Generate random timestamp using CSPRNG:
for i from 1 to count:
random_timestamp = random_int(start_timestamp, end_timestamp)
// CSPRNG ensures unpredictable, uniform distribution
// Random timestamp between specified dates
3. Format as Unix timestamp:
unix = random_timestamp
// Result: 1234567890
// Standard Unix epoch timestamp (seconds since 1970-01-01)
4. Format as ISO 8601:
iso8601 = date('c', random_timestamp)
// Result: "2009-02-13T23:31:30+00:00"
// International standard with timezone
5. Format as human-readable:
human = date('Y-m-d H:i:s', random_timestamp)
// Result: "2009-02-13 23:31:30"
// Easy to read and understand
6. Extract date/time components:
year = date('Y', random_timestamp)
month = date('m', random_timestamp)
day = date('d', random_timestamp)
hour = date('H', random_timestamp)
minute = date('i', random_timestamp)
second = date('s', random_timestamp)
// Individual components for analysis
7. Return all formats with metadata:
- formatted (based on selected format: unix or iso8601)
- unix (always provided)
- iso8601 (always provided)
- human_readable (always provided)
- year, month, day, hour, minute, second (components)
Date Range: 1970-01-01 to present (customizable)
Security: CSPRNG ensures timestamps are unpredictable
Formats: Unix epoch and ISO 8601
Distribution: Uniform probability across date range