# Kafka Connect TimestampConverter SMT Usage Reference for Confluent Platform The `TimestampConverter` SMT (`org.apache.kafka.connect.transforms.TimestampConverter`) converts record timestamps between various formats, including Unix epoch integers, formatted strings, and Connect’s native Date or Timestamp types. ## Description This SMT applies to an individual field or to the entire value. Use the concrete transformation type designed for the record key (`org.apache.kafka.connect.transforms.TimestampConverter$Key`) or value (`org.apache.kafka.connect.transforms.TimestampConverter$Value`). #### NOTE The `TimestampConverter` SMT operates on one field at a time. For timestamp-based topic routing, see [Kafka Connect TimestampRouter SMT Usage Reference for Confluent Platform](timestamprouter.md#timestamprouter) and [Kafka Connect MessageTimestampRouter SMT Usage Reference for Confluent Platform](messagetimestamprouter.md#messagetimestamprouter). ## Properties | Name | Description | Type | Default | Valid values | Importance | |-----------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|----------------|--------------------------------------------------|--------------| | `target.type` | The target format for the converted timestamp. | string | | string, unix, Date, Time, Timestamp | high | | `field` | The specific field name to convert. If left empty, the entire record value is treated as the timestamp. | string | “” | | high | | `format` | The `java.text.SimpleDateFormat` pattern used to parse or generate string timestamps. For more details, see [SimpleDateFormat](https://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/docs/api/java/text/SimpleDateFormat.html). | string | “” | | medium | | `unix.precision` | The desired Unix precision for the timestamp in seconds, milliseconds,
microseconds, or nanoseconds. Converting values using microseconds or
nanoseconds can cause precision loss. | string | `milliseconds` | seconds, milliseconds, microseconds, nanoseconds | low | | `replace.null.with.default` | Specifies whether to replace null fields with their defined default
values. When set to `true`, the default value is applied. Otherwise,
the field remains null. | boolean | `true` | `true` or `false` | medium | ## Examples ### Convert a Unix epoch to a date string This configuration snippet shows how to use `TimestampConverter` to transform a Unix epoch (represented as an `int64` value) into a formatted date string. ```json "transforms": "TimestampConverter", "transforms.TimestampConverter.type": "org.apache.kafka.connect.transforms.TimestampConverter$Value", "transforms.TimestampConverter.format": "yyyy-MM-dd", "transforms.TimestampConverter.target.type": "string" ``` Before: `1696521093` After: `"2023-10-05"` ### Set the converter precision to microseconds This configuration snippet shows how to use `TimestampConverter` to define the converter precision to microseconds. Converting values using microseconds or nanoseconds can cause precision loss. ```json "transforms.TimestampConverter.type": "org.apache.kafka.connect.transforms.TimestampConverter$Value", "transforms.TimestampConverter.field": "event_date_long", "transforms.TimestampConverter.unix.precision": "microseconds", "transforms.TimestampConverter.target.type": "Timestamp" ``` Before: `1696521093` After: `1696521093000000` ## Predicates Configure transformations with predicates to ensure they process only records that satisfy a particular condition. You can also use predicates in a transformation chain with the [Kafka Connect Filter (Kafka) SMT Usage Reference for Confluent Platform](filter-ak.md#ak-filter) to conditionally filter specific records. For more information, see [Predicates](filter-ak.md#predicates).