Timestamp Log Sorter & Converter

⏰ What Does This Tool Do?

Working with logs from different systems can be a headache when each one uses a different timestamp format. This tool takes the pain out of log analysis by automatically recognizing various timestamp formats, letting you sort entries chronologically, and converting everything to your preferred format.

Whether you're debugging a distributed system, analyzing server logs, or just trying to make sense of timestamps from multiple sources, this converter handles the heavy lifting so you can focus on what the logs actually tell you.

🔧 Key Features

  • Smart Format Detection: The tool automatically figures out what timestamp format each line uses - no need to specify it manually
  • Multiple Format Support: Handles ISO-8601, Unix timestamps (seconds and milliseconds), RFC 2822, and common log formats out of the box
  • Flexible Sorting: Arrange your logs from oldest to newest or newest to oldest with a single click
  • Batch Conversion: Transform all timestamps to a consistent format - great for comparing logs from different sources
  • Custom Patterns: Use regex for input matching and strftime patterns for output formatting when you need something specific
  • Preserves Context: Everything around your timestamps stays intact - log levels, messages, metadata all remain in place

📋 Supported Timestamp Formats

ISO-8601

2024-01-15T10:30:00Z

2024-01-15T10:30:00.123Z (with milliseconds)

The international standard - unambiguous and widely used in APIs and modern systems

Unix Timestamps

1705312200 (seconds since epoch)

1705312200000 (milliseconds since epoch)

Compact numeric format - common in databases, APIs, and system internals

RFC 2822

Mon, 15 Jan 2024 10:30:00 +0000

Human-readable format used in email headers and HTTP

Common Log Format

2024-01-15 10:30:00

Simple and readable - often seen in application logs

💡 Common Use Cases

🔍 Debugging Distributed Systems

When tracking down issues across microservices, each service might log timestamps differently. Paste logs from multiple sources, let the tool detect formats automatically, and sort everything chronologically to see the actual sequence of events.

📊 Log Aggregation Prep

Before feeding logs into analysis tools like Elasticsearch or Splunk, normalize all timestamps to a consistent format. This ensures proper parsing and makes time-based queries work correctly.

🔄 API Response Analysis

Convert Unix timestamps from API responses to human-readable formats for documentation or debugging. No more mental math converting epoch times.

📝 Report Generation

When creating incident reports or audit logs, convert technical timestamps to a consistent, readable format that non-technical stakeholders can understand.

🎯 Quick Start Guide

  1. Paste your logs into the input area. Each line should contain at least one timestamp.
  2. Check the detection results to see which formats were found and if any lines couldn't be parsed.
  3. Choose your output format from the dropdown - ISO-8601 is a safe default for most use cases.
  4. Apply sorting if you need logs in chronological order.
  5. Click the output area to copy the converted logs to your clipboard.

⚙️ Advanced: Custom Formats

For non-standard timestamp formats, you can specify custom patterns:

Input (Regex Pattern)

Use regular expressions to match your timestamp. The first capture group will be used as the timestamp string.

\d{4}/\d{2}/\d{2} \d{2}:\d{2}:\d{2} matches 2024/01/15 10:30:00

Output (strftime Pattern)

Use strftime specifiers to format the output exactly how you need it.

%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S produces 2024-01-15 10:30:00

%d/%m/%Y %I:%M %p produces 15/01/2024 10:30 AM

❓ Troubleshooting

Some lines aren't being parsed

Check if those lines actually contain timestamps. The tool looks for timestamps at or near the beginning of each line. If your timestamps are in an unusual location, you might need to use a custom regex pattern.

Wrong format detected

In auto-detect mode, the tool uses pattern matching which can occasionally be ambiguous. Try selecting the specific input format from the dropdown to force correct parsing.

Sorting seems wrong

Lines that couldn't be parsed will be sorted to the end. Check the detection results panel to see which lines have parsing errors and why.

🔗 Related Tools

  • Unix Timestamp Converter - Convert between Unix timestamps and human-readable dates with timezone support
  • Elapsed Time Calculator - Calculate duration between two dates in seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, and years
  • Cron Expression Parser - Parse and validate cron expressions with next execution times, timezone support, and human-readable descriptions
  • Time Calculator - Add or subtract time from any date with full timezone and DST support. Calculate durations in seconds, minutes, hours, days, and weeks

Parsing Settings

Input Format:
Output Format:
Sort Order:
Log Input
Timestamps are automatically detected and parsed from each line
Output (ISO-8601)
Click to copy to clipboard
Custom Output Format Reference:
%Y - Year (2024)
%m - Month (01-12)
%d - Day (01-31)
%H - Hour (00-23)
%M - Minute (00-59)
%S - Second (00-59)
%.3f - Milliseconds
%z - Timezone offset