How to find exactly when a post was published
Feeds show times like "3h", "2d" or "Mar 4", which isn't enough when you're checking a fact, putting events in order or finding which post came first. On most networks, the exact time is hidden in the link to the post itself.
The time is in the ID
Large networks need to give each post a unique number, and many build it from the time the post was created, down to the millisecond, followed by a few digits to keep it unique. Because the time comes first, the ID can be turned back into a date. Nobody can change it after the post is made.
- X (Twitter)
- The number after /status/ in a link. Since November 2010, the first part of it counts milliseconds from November 4, 2010.
- TikTok
- The number after /video/ or /photo/. Its first 32 bits are the posting time in seconds.
- Instagram and Threads
- The short code after /p/, /reel/ or /post/ is the post's ID written in letters. Turned back into a number, it counts milliseconds from August 2011.
- Bluesky
- The code at the end of a post link is a timestamp in microseconds, written in letters and numbers.
- LinkedIn, Discord and Mastodon
- Post, message and status IDs work the same way as on X, each counting from its own starting date.
When the ID doesn't help
YouTube and Reddit IDs are random, so the time has to be read from the public page. Facebook IDs carry no time at all, and most Facebook posts can only be read when logged in.
Things to watch for
- Time zones. The time in an ID is in UTC. Convert it to your own zone, or the zone of the event, before you write it down.
- Reposts and quotes. A repost or a quote has its own link and time. Follow it back to the original post.
- Scheduled posts. The ID records when the post went live, not when it was written.
Do it in one step
Timestamp reads the time from links to X, TikTok, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, LinkedIn, Discord and Mastodon posts, and from the public page for YouTube and Reddit. Paste several links at once to put them in order.