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A 3:1 ratio with 18-month payback stresses cash differently from the same ratio with 3-month payback.",{"children":254,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":20,"version":18,"tag":21},[255],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":256,"type":17,"version":18},"Channel and account hygiene that move the ratio",{"children":258,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":38,"version":18,"textFormat":13,"textStyle":15},[259],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":260,"type":17,"version":18},"CAC is only as honest as your spend and conversion plumbing:",{"children":262,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":55,"version":18,"listType":56,"start":18,"tag":57},[263,267,289],{"children":264,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":47,"version":18,"value":18},[265],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":266,"type":17,"version":18},"Exclude internal traffic and obvious fraud from the customer count.",{"children":268,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":47,"version":18,"value":54},[269,271,278,280,287],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":270,"type":17,"version":18},"Align ad-account billing mode and caps so “CAC spikes” are not actually ",{"children":272,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":120,"version":90,"fields":275,"id":277},[273],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":274,"type":17,"version":18},"spending-limit",{"linkType":122,"newTab":123,"url":276},"https://deepclick.com/resources/blog/ad-account-spending-limit/","6ae9dfa630fc1a00c84d399b",{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":279,"type":17,"version":18}," or ",{"children":281,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":120,"version":90,"fields":284,"id":286},[282],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":283,"type":17,"version":18},"prepaid account",{"linkType":122,"newTab":123,"url":285},"https://deepclick.com/resources/blog/prepaid-ad-account/","6ae9dfa630fc1a00c84d399c",{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":288,"type":17,"version":18}," artifacts.",{"children":290,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":47,"version":18,"value":90},[291,293,300],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":292,"type":17,"version":18},"When you run many accounts, standardize naming and attribution so blended CAC stays comparable—see ",{"children":294,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":120,"version":90,"fields":297,"id":299},[295],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":296,"type":17,"version":18},"managing multiple ad accounts",{"linkType":122,"newTab":123,"url":298},"https://deepclick.com/resources/blog/managing-multiple-ad-accounts/","6ae9dfa630fc1a00c84d399d",{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":107,"type":17,"version":18},{"children":302,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":38,"version":18,"textFormat":13,"textStyle":15},[303],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":304,"type":17,"version":18},"LTV moves with retention, expansion revenue, refunds, and COGS—not with a new bid strategy alone. Fix product and onboarding before pouring more into a broken cohort.",{"children":306,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":20,"version":18,"tag":21},[307],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":308,"type":17,"version":18},"Common mistakes",{"children":310,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":55,"version":18,"listType":56,"start":18,"tag":57},[311,323,327,331,335],{"children":312,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":47,"version":18,"value":18},[313,315,317,319,321],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":314,"type":17,"version":18},"Using ",{"detail":13,"format":18,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":316,"type":17,"version":18},"revenue LTV",{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":318,"type":17,"version":18}," in the numerator while CAC is paid from ",{"detail":13,"format":18,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":320,"type":17,"version":18},"margin",{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":322,"type":17,"version":18}," (inflates the ratio).",{"children":324,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":47,"version":18,"value":54},[325],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":326,"type":17,"version":18},"Counting MQLs as “customers” in CAC while LTV uses only paying accounts.",{"children":328,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":47,"version":18,"value":90},[329],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":330,"type":17,"version":18},"Ignoring organic and brand halo so paid CAC looks worse (or better) than reality.",{"children":332,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":47,"version":18,"value":97},[333],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":334,"type":17,"version":18},"Optimizing the LTV to CAC ratio on 7-day data for a product with 90-day learning.",{"children":336,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":47,"version":18,"value":339},[337],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":338,"type":17,"version":18},"Averaging all channels into one ratio and then cutting the channel that feeds retention.",5,{"children":341,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":20,"version":18,"tag":21},[342],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":343,"type":17,"version":18},"Operating cadence",{"children":345,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":55,"version":18,"listType":98,"start":18,"tag":99},[346,350,354,358],{"children":347,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":47,"version":18,"value":18},[348],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":349,"type":17,"version":18},"Refresh cohort LTV:CAC monthly by primary channel.",{"children":351,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":47,"version":18,"value":54},[352],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":353,"type":17,"version":18},"Pair each ratio with payback months and sample size.",{"children":355,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":47,"version":18,"value":90},[356],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":357,"type":17,"version":18},"Change one lever at a time (creative, landing, bid cap, or onboarding)—not all four.",{"children":359,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":47,"version":18,"value":97},[360],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":361,"type":17,"version":18},"Re-forecast cash if you intentionally push the ratio down to buy growth.",{"children":363,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":20,"version":18,"tag":21},[364],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":365,"type":17,"version":18},"Bottom line",{"children":367,"direction":19,"format":15,"indent":13,"type":38,"version":18,"textFormat":13,"textStyle":15},[368,369,370],{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":25,"type":17,"version":18},{"detail":13,"format":18,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":27,"type":17,"version":18},{"detail":13,"format":13,"mode":14,"style":15,"text":371,"type":17,"version":18}," is a scale check: are customers worth enough relative to what you pay to win them? Calculate it on contribution margin, keep cohorts clean, watch payback, and use media metrics (CPA/ROAS) as inputs to CAC—not as substitutes for the full ratio.","root",{"id":374,"alt":375,"updatedAt":376,"createdAt":376,"url":377,"thumbnailURL":19,"filename":378,"mimeType":379,"filesize":380,"width":381,"height":382},1294,"muvloom inspiration r26b-47","2026-10-20T10:06:35.315Z","https://cms-r2.deepclick.com/r26b-47-ac61366f9a48.jpg","r26b-47-ac61366f9a48.jpg","image/jpeg",291592,1145,1374,{"title":19,"description":19,"image":19},{"id":18,"key":385,"name":386,"prodHost":387,"testHost":388,"blogPath":389,"docPath":390,"zhPrefix":391,"deployHookTest":392,"deployHookProd":393,"brandAuthor":394,"brandKit":398,"enabled":402,"updatedAt":403,"createdAt":404},"deepclick","DeepClick","https://deepclick.com","https://www-test-deepclick.qiliangjia.one","/resources/blog/{slug}","/docs/{slug}","/zh-CN","https://api.cloudflare.com/client/v4/pages/webhooks/deploy_hooks/60a9adef-153b-4c89-8d07-7118e91e9522","https://api.cloudflare.com/client/v4/pages/webhooks/deploy_hooks/05323321-f694-4ce8-a5af-173c507b8bae",{"id":54,"name":386,"avatar":395,"updatedAt":396,"createdAt":397},25,"2026-04-22T08:09:35.299Z","2026-04-22T06:42:49.116Z",{"logoLight":19,"logoDark":19,"primaryColor":399,"accentColor":400,"tagline":401,"wechatName":19,"xhsHandle":19,"wechatQr":19},"#1a73e8","#ff6600","一次点击，多重价值",true,"2026-08-25T06:40:57.663Z","2026-07-14T06:26:38.962Z","published","ltv-to-cac-ratio",{"id":97,"name":408,"avatar":409,"updatedAt":417,"createdAt":417},"Ethan Cole",{"id":410,"alt":411,"updatedAt":412,"createdAt":412,"url":413,"thumbnailURL":19,"filename":414,"mimeType":415,"filesize":416,"width":19,"height":19},922,"Ethan Cole — growth & ad-tech editor","2026-07-27T07:17:05.290Z","https://cms-r2.deepclick.com/gpt_1785136218181_0-d1b8139c1927.png","gpt_1785136218181_0-d1b8139c1927.png","application/octet-stream",1965798,"2026-07-27T07:17:07.920Z",{"id":419,"site":420,"titleZh":422,"titleEn":423,"slug":424,"order":339,"updatedAt":425,"createdAt":426},7,{"id":18,"key":385,"name":386,"prodHost":387,"testHost":388,"blogPath":389,"docPath":390,"zhPrefix":391,"deployHookTest":392,"deployHookProd":393,"brandAuthor":54,"brandKit":421,"enabled":402,"updatedAt":403,"createdAt":404},{"logoLight":19,"logoDark":19,"primaryColor":399,"accentColor":400,"tagline":401,"wechatName":19,"xhsHandle":19,"wechatQr":19},"技术导航","Tech Guides","tech-guides","2026-04-27T08:37:10.576Z","2026-04-23T02:59:13.436Z","2026-11-03T13:20:51.367Z","2026-11-03T13:20:52.807Z","2026-11-03T13:20:40.001Z","\u003Cdiv class=\"payload-richtext\">\u003Ch2>What the LTV to CAC ratio measures\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The \u003Cstrong>LTV to CAC ratio\u003C/strong> (also written LTV:CAC) compares how much gross profit a customer is expected to generate over their life (\u003Cstrong>LTV\u003C/strong>) with how much it cost to acquire that customer (\u003Cstrong>CAC\u003C/strong>). Investors and growth teams use it as a quick read on whether paid and organic acquisition can scale without quietly burning cash.\u003C/p>\u003Cul class=\"list-bullet\">\u003Cli\n          class=\"\"\n          style=\"\"\n          value=\"1\"\n        >\u003Cstrong>LTV (lifetime value)\u003C/strong> — usually contribution margin or gross profit expected from one customer, not raw revenue, unless you explicitly label revenue-LTV.\u003C/li>\u003Cli\n          class=\"\"\n          style=\"\"\n          value=\"2\"\n        >\u003Cstrong>CAC (customer acquisition cost)\u003C/strong> — fully loaded cost to win that customer: media, tools, agency, sales commissions, and often a share of creative production.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>A ratio of \u003Cstrong>3:1\u003C/strong> is a common rule of thumb for healthy SaaS or subscription businesses; below ~1:1 means you lose money on every new customer before operating costs; far above 5:1 can mean you are under-investing in growth. Treat benchmarks as starting points, not laws—payback period and margin structure matter more than a single magic number.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2>How to calculate LTV to CAC ratio\u003C/h2>\u003Col class=\"list-number\">\u003Cli\n          class=\"\"\n          style=\"\"\n          value=\"1\"\n        >\u003Cstrong>Pick a cohort\u003C/strong> (by month acquired, channel, or product).\u003C/li>\u003Cli\n          class=\"\"\n          style=\"\"\n          value=\"2\"\n        >\u003Cstrong>Compute LTV\u003C/strong> for that cohort: average contribution margin × expected lifetime (or discounted cash flows if you are rigorous).\u003C/li>\u003Cli\n          class=\"\"\n          style=\"\"\n          value=\"3\"\n        >\u003Cstrong>Compute CAC\u003C/strong> for the same cohort: acquisition spend attributed to those customers ÷ number of customers won.\u003C/li>\u003Cli\n          class=\"\"\n          style=\"\"\n          value=\"4\"\n        >\u003Cstrong>Ratio\u003C/strong> = LTV ÷ CAC.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>Example: LTV $300 contribution, CAC $100 → \u003Cstrong>LTV to CAC ratio = 3.0\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Keep the same currency, timezone, and attribution window on both sides. Blending web leads with app subscribers in one CAC without segmenting will distort the ratio.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For media math that feeds CAC—ROAS, CPA, and break-even—see \u003Ca href=\"https://deepclick.com/resources/blog/how-to-calculate-roas/\">How to Calculate ROAS\u003C/a> and the bid-strategy tradeoffs in \u003Ca href=\"https://deepclick.com/resources/blog/target-cpa-vs-target-roas/\">Target CPA vs Target ROAS\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2>What “good” looks like in practice\u003C/h2>\u003Cdiv class=\"lexical-table-container\">\n        \u003Ctable class=\"lexical-table\" style=\"border-collapse: collapse;\">\n          \u003Ctbody>\u003Ctr class=\"lexical-table-row\">\n        \u003Cth\n        class=\"lexical-table-cell lexical-table-cell-header-1\"\n        \n        \n        style=\"border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 8px;\"\n      >\n        \u003Cp> LTV:CAC \u003C/p>\n      \u003C/th>\n    \u003Cth\n        class=\"lexical-table-cell lexical-table-cell-header-1\"\n        \n        \n        style=\"border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 8px;\"\n      >\n        \u003Cp> Typical reading \u003C/p>\n      \u003C/th>\n    \u003Cth\n        class=\"lexical-table-cell lexical-table-cell-header-1\"\n        \n        \n        style=\"border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 8px;\"\n      >\n        \u003Cp> What to check next \u003C/p>\n      \u003C/th>\n    \n      \u003C/tr>\u003Ctr class=\"lexical-table-row\">\n        \u003Ctd\n        class=\"lexical-table-cell lexical-table-cell-header-0\"\n        \n        \n        style=\"border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 8px;\"\n      >\n        \u003Cp> < 1 \u003C/p>\n      \u003C/td>\n    \u003Ctd\n        class=\"lexical-table-cell lexical-table-cell-header-0\"\n        \n        \n        style=\"border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 8px;\"\n      >\n        \u003Cp> Destroying value \u003C/p>\n      \u003C/td>\n    \u003Ctd\n        class=\"lexical-table-cell lexical-table-cell-header-0\"\n        \n        \n        style=\"border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 8px;\"\n      >\n        \u003Cp> Tracking errors, bad creative, wrong offer, or CAC missing refunds \u003C/p>\n      \u003C/td>\n    \n      \u003C/tr>\u003Ctr class=\"lexical-table-row\">\n        \u003Ctd\n        class=\"lexical-table-cell lexical-table-cell-header-0\"\n        \n        \n        style=\"border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 8px;\"\n      >\n        \u003Cp> 1–2 \u003C/p>\n      \u003C/td>\n    \u003Ctd\n        class=\"lexical-table-cell lexical-table-cell-header-0\"\n        \n        \n        style=\"border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 8px;\"\n      >\n        \u003Cp> Fragile \u003C/p>\n      \u003C/td>\n    \u003Ctd\n        class=\"lexical-table-cell lexical-table-cell-header-0\"\n        \n        \n        style=\"border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 8px;\"\n      >\n        \u003Cp> Improve conversion, retention, or cut wasteful placements \u003C/p>\n      \u003C/td>\n    \n      \u003C/tr>\u003Ctr class=\"lexical-table-row\">\n        \u003Ctd\n        class=\"lexical-table-cell lexical-table-cell-header-0\"\n        \n        \n        style=\"border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 8px;\"\n      >\n        \u003Cp> ~3 \u003C/p>\n      \u003C/td>\n    \u003Ctd\n        class=\"lexical-table-cell lexical-table-cell-header-0\"\n        \n        \n        style=\"border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 8px;\"\n      >\n        \u003Cp> Often sustainable \u003C/p>\n      \u003C/td>\n    \u003Ctd\n        class=\"lexical-table-cell lexical-table-cell-header-0\"\n        \n        \n        style=\"border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 8px;\"\n      >\n        \u003Cp> Scale carefully; watch payback months \u003C/p>\n      \u003C/td>\n    \n      \u003C/tr>\u003Ctr class=\"lexical-table-row\">\n        \u003Ctd\n        class=\"lexical-table-cell lexical-table-cell-header-0\"\n        \n        \n        style=\"border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 8px;\"\n      >\n        \u003Cp> > 5 \u003C/p>\n      \u003C/td>\n    \u003Ctd\n        class=\"lexical-table-cell lexical-table-cell-header-0\"\n        \n        \n        style=\"border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 8px;\"\n      >\n        \u003Cp> Possibly under-spending \u003C/p>\n      \u003C/td>\n    \u003Ctd\n        class=\"lexical-table-cell lexical-table-cell-header-0\"\n        \n        \n        style=\"border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 8px;\"\n      >\n        \u003Cp> Test higher bids / broader audiences if cash allows \u003C/p>\n      \u003C/td>\n    \n      \u003C/tr>\u003C/tbody>\n        \u003C/table>\n      \u003C/div>\u003Cp>Also track \u003Cstrong>CAC payback\u003C/strong> (months of contribution to recover CAC). A 3:1 ratio with 18-month payback stresses cash differently from the same ratio with 3-month payback.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2>Channel and account hygiene that move the ratio\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>CAC is only as honest as your spend and conversion plumbing:\u003C/p>\u003Cul class=\"list-bullet\">\u003Cli\n          class=\"\"\n          style=\"\"\n          value=\"1\"\n        >Exclude internal traffic and obvious fraud from the customer count.\u003C/li>\u003Cli\n          class=\"\"\n          style=\"\"\n          value=\"2\"\n        >Align ad-account billing mode and caps so “CAC spikes” are not actually \u003Ca href=\"https://deepclick.com/resources/blog/ad-account-spending-limit/\">spending-limit\u003C/a> or \u003Ca href=\"https://deepclick.com/resources/blog/prepaid-ad-account/\">prepaid account\u003C/a> artifacts.\u003C/li>\u003Cli\n          class=\"\"\n          style=\"\"\n          value=\"3\"\n        >When you run many accounts, standardize naming and attribution so blended CAC stays comparable—see \u003Ca href=\"https://deepclick.com/resources/blog/managing-multiple-ad-accounts/\">managing multiple ad accounts\u003C/a>.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>LTV moves with retention, expansion revenue, refunds, and COGS—not with a new bid strategy alone. Fix product and onboarding before pouring more into a broken cohort.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2>Common mistakes\u003C/h2>\u003Cul class=\"list-bullet\">\u003Cli\n          class=\"\"\n          style=\"\"\n          value=\"1\"\n        >Using \u003Cstrong>revenue LTV\u003C/strong> in the numerator while CAC is paid from \u003Cstrong>margin\u003C/strong> (inflates the ratio).\u003C/li>\u003Cli\n          class=\"\"\n          style=\"\"\n          value=\"2\"\n        >Counting MQLs as “customers” in CAC while LTV uses only paying accounts.\u003C/li>\u003Cli\n          class=\"\"\n          style=\"\"\n          value=\"3\"\n        >Ignoring organic and brand halo so paid CAC looks worse (or better) than reality.\u003C/li>\u003Cli\n          class=\"\"\n          style=\"\"\n          value=\"4\"\n        >Optimizing the LTV to CAC ratio on 7-day data for a product with 90-day learning.\u003C/li>\u003Cli\n          class=\"\"\n          style=\"\"\n          value=\"5\"\n        >Averaging all channels into one ratio and then cutting the channel that feeds retention.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch2>Operating cadence\u003C/h2>\u003Col class=\"list-number\">\u003Cli\n          class=\"\"\n          style=\"\"\n          value=\"1\"\n        >Refresh cohort LTV:CAC monthly by primary channel.\u003C/li>\u003Cli\n          class=\"\"\n          style=\"\"\n          value=\"2\"\n        >Pair each ratio with payback months and sample size.\u003C/li>\u003Cli\n          class=\"\"\n          style=\"\"\n          value=\"3\"\n        >Change one lever at a time (creative, landing, bid cap, or onboarding)—not all four.\u003C/li>\u003Cli\n          class=\"\"\n          style=\"\"\n          value=\"4\"\n        >Re-forecast cash if you intentionally push the ratio down to buy growth.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Ch2>Bottom line\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The \u003Cstrong>LTV to CAC ratio\u003C/strong> is a scale check: are customers worth enough relative to what you pay to win them? Calculate it on contribution margin, keep cohorts clean, watch payback, and use media metrics (CPA/ROAS) as inputs to CAC—not as substitutes for the full ratio.\u003C/p>\u003C/div>","https://deepclick.com/resources/blog/ltv-to-cac-ratio",{"en":406,"zh-CN":406},[434],{"id":90,"title":435,"site":436,"image":438,"mobileImage":448,"targetUrl":456,"enabled":402,"postDateFrom":457,"postDateTo":458,"updatedAt":459,"createdAt":460},"2026.10.20 Jakarta summit (deepclick)",{"id":18,"key":385,"name":386,"prodHost":387,"testHost":388,"blogPath":389,"docPath":390,"zhPrefix":391,"deployHookTest":392,"deployHookProd":393,"brandAuthor":54,"brandKit":437,"enabled":402,"updatedAt":403,"createdAt":404},{"logoLight":19,"logoDark":19,"primaryColor":399,"accentColor":400,"tagline":401,"wechatName":19,"xhsHandle":19,"wechatQr":19},{"id":439,"alt":440,"updatedAt":441,"createdAt":441,"url":442,"thumbnailURL":19,"filename":443,"mimeType":444,"filesize":445,"width":446,"height":447},1068,"TrafficTalking Jakarta summit 2026.10.20 (en)","2026-09-04T10:44:12.868Z","https://cms-r2.deepclick.com/traffictalking-jakarta-banner-en-9f7ee22f6562.png","traffictalking-jakarta-banner-en-9f7ee22f6562.png","image/png",1565832,2000,400,{"id":449,"alt":450,"updatedAt":451,"createdAt":451,"url":452,"thumbnailURL":19,"filename":453,"mimeType":444,"filesize":454,"width":455,"height":447},1070,"TrafficTalking Jakarta summit 2026.10.20 (mobile-en)","2026-09-04T10:44:23.791Z","https://cms-r2.deepclick.com/traffictalking-jakarta-banner-mobile-en-3ef8e652bbac.png","traffictalking-jakarta-banner-mobile-en-3ef8e652bbac.png",580158,1200,"https://luma.com/g4tnhetc","2026-09-03T00:00:00.000Z","2026-10-04T00:00:00.000Z","2026-09-22T01:42:15.402Z","2026-09-04T10:45:03.031Z",1793933219740]