# Start\_timestamp

**URL:** <https://community.purpleair.com/t/start-timestamp/4542>\
**Category:** Data\
**Created:** [May 17, 2023, 9:51pm UTC](https://community.purpleair.com/t/start-timestamp/4542 "2023-05-17T21:51:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Zuber\_Farooqui](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.purpleair.com/zuber_farooqui/32/610_2.png) [@Zuber\_Farooqui](https://community.purpleair.com/u/Zuber_Farooqui)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2023, 9:51pm UTC](https://community.purpleair.com/t/start-timestamp/4542/1 "2023-05-17T21:51:19Z")

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Dear PA Users and Support team,

I would like to know if downloaded PA data are in UTC or local time? The description about ‘start\_timestamp’ and ‘start\_timestamp’ is not clear w.r.t. it.

For example, UNIX time stamp: 1589772600 is Mon May 18 2020 03:30:00 GMT+0000 and Sun May 17 2020 19:30:00 GMT-0800 (Pacific Standard Time), so when we download the data from PA using this time stamp then in which date/time PA will return the data?

Thank you!

start\_timestamp: The time stamp of the first required history entry. Query is executed using `data_timestamp >= start_timestamp`.  
Time can be specified as a UNIX time stamp in seconds or an ISO 8601 string. [ISO 8601 - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_8601).  
The time\_stamp column in the resulting JSON or CSV will be in the same format and or time zone that you use for this `start_timestamp` parameter.  
If not specified, the last maximum time span for the requested average will be returned.|

end\_timestamp: The end time stamp of the history to return. Query is executed using `data_timestamp < end_timestamp`.  
Time can be specified as a UNIX time stamp in seconds or an ISO 8601 string. [ISO 8601 - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_8601).  
If not specified, the maximum time span will be returned starting from the provided `start_timestamp`.|

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**Author:** ![Amanda\_Hawkins](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.purpleair.com/amanda_hawkins/32/179_2.png) [@Amanda\_Hawkins](https://community.purpleair.com/u/Amanda_Hawkins)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2023, 7:28pm UTC](https://community.purpleair.com/t/start-timestamp/4542/2 "2023-05-18T19:28:42Z")

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Hello @Zuber_Farooqui ,

This post should be helpful: [Convert UTC to local time](https://community.purpleair.com/t/convert-utc-to-local-time/642)

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**Author:** ![Zuber\_Farooqui](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.purpleair.com/zuber_farooqui/32/610_2.png) [@Zuber\_Farooqui](https://community.purpleair.com/u/Zuber_Farooqui)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2023, 11:12pm UTC](https://community.purpleair.com/t/start-timestamp/4542/3 "2023-05-18T23:12:24Z")

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Dear @Amanda_Hawkins ,

My question was similar/in line to the post [API Correct Timestamp Get Sensors API Call](https://community.purpleair.com/t/api-correct-timestamp-get-sensors-api-call/2057) and according to @Andrew, the data retried will be in local computer time.

Not to create more confusion, I still want to know UNIX time stamp = 1589772600 will return me data in UTC or my local computer timezone which is PDT?

Conversion from one timezone to another is not an issue.

Thank you!!

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**Author:** ![Andrew](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.purpleair.com/andrew/32/1211_2.png) [@Andrew](https://community.purpleair.com/u/Andrew)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2023, 7:01pm UTC](https://community.purpleair.com/t/start-timestamp/4542/4 "2023-05-19T19:01:47Z")

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~~I’ve corrected my comment. Data from the API is always returned in UTC. Sorry for the confusion!~~

I need to make another correction. Time from the API is returned in the form in which it was called. For example, if you use the timestamp 2023-06-08T16:38:33Z, the data will be returned in UTC, since you specified UTC with the “Z” in the timestamp. If you use the timestamp 2023-06-08T16:38:33Z-6:00, the data will be returned in UTC-6:00.

UNIX timestamps are always in UTC, so if you make a call using a UNIX timestamp, the data returned in the response will be in UTC.

My apologies for any confusion I may have caused with my previous statement.