GPUCommandEncoder: writeTimestamp() method

Deprecated

Avoid using this feature in new projects. This feature may be a candidate for removal from web standards or browsers.

Secure context: This feature is available only in secure contexts (HTTPS), in some or all supporting browsers.

Non-standard: This feature is not standardized. We do not recommend using non-standard features in production, as they have limited browser support, and may change or be removed. However, they can be a suitable alternative in specific cases where no standard option exists.

Note: This feature is available in Web Workers.

The writeTimestamp() method of the GPUCommandEncoder interface encodes a command that writes a timestamp into a GPUQuerySet once the previous commands recorded into the same queued GPUCommandBuffer have been executed by the GPU.

Note: To use timestamp queries, the timestamp-query feature must be enabled in the GPUDevice.

Syntax

writeTimestamp(querySet, queryIndex)

Parameters

querySet: A GPUQuerySet object representing the query set that will store the timestamp values.
queryIndex: A number representing the index of the query in the query set.

Return value

None (undefined).

Validation

The following criteria must be met when calling writeTimestamp(), otherwise a GPUValidationError is generated and the GPUCommandEncoder becomes invalid:

The timestamp-query feature is enabled in the GPUDevice.
The querySet GPUQuerySet.type is "timestamp"
The queryIndex value is less than the GPUQuerySet.count.

Examples

// …

const querySet = device.createQuerySet({
  type: "timestamp",
  count: 32,
});

// …

commandEncoder.writeTimestamp(querySet, 0);

// …

Specifications

This feature does not appear to be defined in any specification.

Browser compatibility

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This page was last modified on May 21, 2026 by MDN contributors.

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