> This page location: Date Functions > STATEMENT_TIMESTAMP > Full Neon documentation index: https://neon.com/docs/llms.txt # PostgreSQL STATEMENT_TIMESTAMP() Function **Summary**: in this tutorial, you will learn how to use the PostgreSQL `STATEMENT_TIMESTAMP()` function to retrieve the start time of the current statement. ## Introduction to the PostgreSQL STATEMENT_TIMESTAMP() function The `STATEMENT_TIMESTAMP()` function returns the start time of the current statement. Here's the syntax of the `STATEMENT_TIMESTAMP()` function: ```sql STATEMENT_TIMESTAMP() ``` The `STATEMENT_TIMESTAMP()` function doesn't accept any argument. It returns a value of the type `TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE`, representing a [timestamp](../postgresql-tutorial/postgresql-timestamp) at the start of the current statement. ## PostgreSQL STATEMENT_TIMESTAMP() function examples Let's take some examples of using the `STATEMENT_TIMESTAMP()` function. ### 1) Basic statement_timestamp() function example The following statement uses the `STATEMENT_TIMESTAMP()` function to retrieve the start time of the current statement: ```sql SELECT STATEMENT_TIMESTAMP(); ``` Output: ```text statement_timestamp ------------------------------- 2024-03-20 11:30:47.001021-07 (1 row) ``` The output indicates that the `STATEMENT_TIMESTAMP()` function returns a timestamp with a time zone of the start time when the statement is executed. ### 2) Using the statement_timestamp() within a transaction The following example calls the `STATEMENT_TIMESTAMP()` function within a transaction multiple times and log the result into a table: ```sql -- create a new table for logging CREATE TABLE logs( id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY, started_at TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE ); -- start a transaction BEGIN; INSERT INTO logs(started_at) VALUES(statement_timestamp()); SELECT pg_sleep(3); INSERT INTO logs(started_at) VALUES(statement_timestamp()); SELECT pg_sleep(3); INSERT INTO logs(started_at) VALUES(statement_timestamp()); END; -- retrieve data from the logs table SELECT * FROM logs; ``` Output: ```text id | started_at ----+------------------------------- 1 | 2024-03-20 13:22:13.056783+07 2 | 2024-03-20 13:22:16.228492+07 3 | 2024-03-20 13:22:19.390211+07 (3 rows) ``` In this example, we use the `pg_sleep()` function to delay the execution of each [INSERT](../postgresql-tutorial/postgresql-insert) statement. Since we invoke the `STATEMENT_TIMESTAMP()` function in its own SQL statement, it returns a timestamp differently with each call. Notice that the `STATEMENT_TIMESTAMP()` function is unlike the `TRANSACTION_TIMESTAMP()` function which does not change with each statement. The `TRANSACTION_TIMESTAMP()` will return the same start time of the transaction. ### 3) Call the statement_timestamp() function multiple times within a statement The following example calls the `STATEMENT_TIMESTAMP()` function multiple times within a single statement: ```sql SELECT statement_timestamp(), pg_sleep(3), statement_timestamp(), pg_sleep(3), statement_timestamp(); ``` Output: ``` -[ RECORD 1 ]-------+------------------------------ statement_timestamp | 2024-03-20 13:52:55.861004-07 pg_sleep | statement_timestamp | 2024-03-20 13:52:55.861004-07 pg_sleep | statement_timestamp | 2024-03-20 13:52:55.861004-07 ``` Note that to display vertical results in psql, you execute the \x command first. In this example, the `STATEMENT_TIMESTAMP()` function returns the same values for all three calls, even though we call the `pg_sleep()` to delay execution between each call. It is important to notice that this behavior contrasts with the [`CLOCK_TIMESTAMP()`](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-date-functions/postgresql-clock_timestamp) function, which continues to change as it progresses through the statement. ## Summary - Use the `STATEMENT_TIMESTAMP()` function to retrieve the start time of the current statement. --- ## Related docs (Date Functions) - [AGE](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-date-functions/postgresql-age) - [AT TIME ZONE Operator](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-date-functions/postgresql-at-time-zone) - [CLOCK_TIMESTAMP](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-date-functions/postgresql-clock_timestamp) - [CURRENT_DATE](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-date-functions/postgresql-current_date) - [CURRENT_TIME](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-date-functions/postgresql-current_time) - [CURRENT_TIMESTAMP](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-date-functions/postgresql-current_timestamp) - [DATE_PART](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-date-functions/postgresql-date_part) - [DATE_TRUNC](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-date-functions/postgresql-date_trunc) - [EXTRACT](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-date-functions/postgresql-extract) - [ISFINITE](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-date-functions/postgresql-isfinite) - [JUSTIFY_DAYS](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-date-functions/postgresql-justify_days) - [JUSTIFY_HOURS](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-date-functions/postgresql-justify_hours) - [JUSTIFY_INTERVAL](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-date-functions/postgresql-justify_interval) - [LOCALTIME](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-date-functions/postgresql-localtime) - [LOCALTIMESTAMP](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-date-functions/postgresql-localtimestamp) - [MAKE_DATE](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-date-functions/postgresql-make_date) - [MAKE_INTERVAL](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-date-functions/postgresql-make_interval) - [MAKE_TIME](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-date-functions/postgresql-make_time) - [NOW](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-date-functions/postgresql-now) - [PG_SLEEP](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-date-functions/postgresql-pg_sleep) - [TIMEOFDAY](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-date-functions/postgresql-timeofday) - [TO_DATE](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-date-functions/postgresql-to_date) - [TO_TIMESTAMP](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-date-functions/postgresql-to_timestamp)