Automated updating of API pages at this location, to reflect patch changes, has ceased from 10.1.7 onwards.

Returns the server's Unix time.

timestamp = GetServerTime()

Returns

timestamp

number - Time in seconds since the epoch.

Details

• The server's Unix timestamp is more preferable over time() since it's guaranteed to be synchronized between clients. The local machine's clock could possibly have been manually changed and might also be off by a few seconds if not recently synced.
• Unix time is unrelated to your time zone, making it useful for tracking and sorting timestamps.

Comparison

When in a EU time zone CEST (UTC+2) and playing on Moon Guard US, CDT (UTC-5). The examples were taken at the same time. Note that time() and date() are tied to your system's clock which can be manually changed.

-- unix time
time()                             -- 1596157547
GetServerTime())                   -- 1596157549

-- local time, same as `date(nil, time())`
date()                             -- "Fri Jul 31 03:05:47 2020"

-- realm time
GetGameTime()                          -- 20, 4
C_DateAndTime.GetCurrentCalendarTime() -- hour:20, minute:4
C_DateAndTime.GetServerTimeLocal()     -- 1596139440 unix time offset by the server's time zone (e.g. UTC minus 5 hours)

Patch changes

Patch 6.2.0 (2015-06-23): Added.

See also

• GetTime() - local machine uptime.