Console

`console.time`

Starts a timer you can use to track how long an operation takes

Syntax

JavaScript

console.time(label?)

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
label	string	Label for the timer. Defaults to 'default'

Return Value

undefined

Examples

Basic Usage

console.time('fetch');
await fetch('/api/data');
console.timeEnd('fetch'); // fetch: 120.5ms

Practical Example

console.time('sort');
const arr = Array.from({ length: 100000 }, () => Math.random());
arr.sort();
console.timeEnd('sort');

Advanced Usage

console.time('loop');
for (let i = 0; i < 1000000; i++) {
  // ... work ...
}
console.timeEnd('loop');

Understanding console.time

The console.time method in JavaScript starts a timer you can use to track how long an operation takes. It belongs to the console object and is one of the most widely used methods for working with console values in modern JavaScript and TypeScript applications.

The method signature is console.time(label?). It accepts 1 parameter: label. When called, it returns undefined. Understanding when and how to use time() helps you write more expressive, readable code.

Common use cases for console.time include data transformation, input validation, API response processing, and building reusable utility functions. It works well alongside related methods like console-timeend, console-log, enabling you to chain operations together for complex data manipulation pipelines.

Browser support for console.time is excellent across all modern browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. It is also fully supported in Node.js and Deno. For older environments, transpilation with Babel or a polyfill may be needed.