What is a time-series database?

Short answer: A time-series database (TSDB) is optimized for storing, querying, and managing time-stamped data (data associated with timestamps), often used for tracking events or metrics over time.

Explain a bit more

Use cases: IoT data, server logs, stock prices, sensor data, application monitoring, etc. Characteristics: Data is ordered by timestamps. Efficient for inserting large volumes of data continuously. Optimized for queries that focus on time ranges (e.g., finding data from a particular hour or day). Examples: InfluxDB, TimescaleDB, Prometheus.

Say this in the interview

1. Define — one clear sentence (the short answer above).
2. Example — relate it to a project like ShopNest or your real work.
3. Trade-off — when you would not use it.