Get UNIX Time endpoint

Advanced Trade API
1

From changelog:

Added Get UNIX Time which allows users to get the current time from the Coinbase Advanced API.

Is not this API useless in its current form? It is not available without authentication which means API user has to use other ways to get time anyway to create valid request…

  • If user has no unix time, he can not make valid request to get one from API;
  • If user has unix time, he does not need API to get one.

Am I missing something?

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2

And there already was Time endpoint:

The Advanced Trade REST API comprises all v3 endpoints. It does not duplicate the Sign In With Coinbase v2 endpoints for core Coinbase functions (some of which need authentication as well).

As duplicated endpoint has been added, is above no longer true?

3

I was looking at that endpoint to see if it’s possible to upgrade from the V2 endpoint to the V3 endpoint, and it does seem useless in the current form.

I’m using this to detect and account for clock drift between client and server, as I found that sometimes it drifts enough where my API requests fail, and updating my system clock only accounts for error on my system, not error on coinbase’s end.

Since clock synchronization is necessary for authenticating successfully, this endpoint offers no value - if I can authenticate, then I don’t need the server time, and if I cannot connect, I do need the server time, but the endpoint will reject my request.

In theory, I can read the time from the “Date” response header, but then what’s the point of this endpoint?

4

Hey @muktupavels! Actually, you can read the time from the “Date” response header, but this approach is not reliable as it depends on the server’s clock being accurate. Therefore, the Unix Time endpoint is still useful in some cases, especially when clock synchronization is necessary for authenticating successfully. The main reason it exists is for users to verify the server’s current time, which is especially important for authenticating requests, managing time-dependent transactions and exchanges, and handling any discrepancies between the server’s time and the local system’s time.
We hope this answers your question.

5

Yeah, I understand that. Important for authentication… The point is that without authentication you can not use that endpoint. And if I can make valid request that means I already do have valid time, no?

What I am telling is that time endpoint is more or less useless if it requires authentication.

Exchange/Pro has https://api.exchange.coinbase.com/time and also SIWC has https://api.coinbase.com/v2/time. Both don’t require authentication and can be used for intended purpose. But https://api.coinbase.com/api/v3/brokerage/time gives you Unauthorized error.

So what was point off adding this new endpoint? Or perhaps it is error/bug that it requires authentication?

6

Hey @muktupavels! Thank you for your patience. We have shared this further with our team and they have taken a note of it. If Any updates happen, it will be made public soon. Thank you for your feedback!

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