MongoDB Timestamp Converter [2025]
Extract timestamp information from MongoDB ObjectIds and generate ObjectIds for specific dates. Essential for MongoDB developers and administrators.
Understanding MongoDB ObjectIds
ObjectId Structure
- •
Timestamp (4 bytes)
Unix timestamp in seconds
- •
Machine ID (3 bytes)
Unique identifier for the machine
- •
Process ID (2 bytes)
Process identifier
- •
Increment (3 bytes)
Auto-incrementing counter
Key Features
- •
Embedded Timestamp
Creation time built into the ID
- •
Automatic Ordering
IDs are roughly ordered by creation time
- •
Distributed Systems
Designed for distributed databases
Common Use Cases
Querying by Date
# Find documents created after 2023-01-01
db.collection.find({ _id: { $gt: ObjectId("5ff...000") } })
Use ObjectId comparison for efficient date-based queries without additional date fields.
Date Ranges
# Documents between two dates
db.collection.find({ _id: { $gt: ObjectId("start"), $lt: ObjectId("end") } })
Query documents within a specific date range using ObjectId boundaries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why use ObjectId timestamps?
ObjectIds include creation timestamps by default, making them ideal for time-based queries without needing additional date fields. This saves storage space and provides automatic temporal ordering.
How accurate are ObjectId timestamps?
ObjectId timestamps have second-level precision. While this is sufficient for most applications, if you need millisecond precision, you should store a separate timestamp field.
Can I create custom ObjectIds?
Yes, you can create ObjectIds with custom timestamps, but they should only be used for querying purposes. Never create custom ObjectIds for new documents as this could lead to duplicate IDs.
How long are ObjectIds valid?
ObjectIds use a 4-byte timestamp, which means they can represent dates until the year 2106. After that, MongoDB will need to implement a new ObjectId format.
Common MongoDB Date Operations
Useful Commands
Get Timestamp from ObjectId
ObjectId("507f1f77bcf86cd799439011").getTimestamp()Convert ISODate to ObjectId Query
const date = new Date("2024-01-01");
const objectId = Math.floor(date.getTime() / 1000).toString(16) + "0000000000000000";Aggregation with ObjectId Date
db.collection.aggregate([
{
$addFields: {
created: { $toDate: "$_id" }
}
}
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