How to Change Date Format in Excel

Understanding Excel Date Formats

Excel stores dates as serial numbers, with each date represented by a unique number. By default, Excel uses the “Short Date” format, which displays dates in the format of “MM/DD/YYYY” (e.g. 03/26/2023). However, Excel provides a range of date formats that you can use to display dates in various formats such as “DD/MM/YYYY”, “YYYY/MM/DD”, “MM-DD-YYYY”, and more.

It’s important to understand the different date formats in Excel to ensure that your data is presented in a clear and understandable way. You can also customize the date format to meet your specific needs, such as displaying the day of the week or month name.

In addition, it’s essential to ensure that the date values in your Excel sheet are actually recognized as dates. Sometimes, Excel may treat dates as text, which can cause errors when trying to perform calculations or sorting by date. To avoid these issues, you can convert text to date format using Excel’s date functions.

Changing Date Format using Format Cells

Excel provides a quick and easy way to change the date format using the “Format Cells” feature. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Select the cells containing the dates that you want to format.
2. Right-click on the selection and choose “Format Cells” from the context menu, or go to the “Home” tab and click on the “Number” drop-down arrow, then select “More Number Formats”.
3. In the “Format Cells” dialog box, go to the “Number” tab and choose “Date” from the list of categories.
4. Select the desired date format from the list of available formats, or click on “Custom” to create a custom date format.
5. Click “OK” to apply the selected format to the selected cells.

You can also use the keyboard shortcut “Ctrl + 1” to open the “Format Cells” dialog box. This method works for any type of data in Excel, not just dates.

Using Custom Date Formats in Excel

If none of the built-in date formats in Excel meet your needs, you can create a custom date format that suits your specific requirements. Excel provides a wide range of formatting codes that you can use to create custom date formats.

To create a custom date format, follow these steps:

1. Select the cells containing the dates that you want to format.
2. Right-click on the selection and choose “Format Cells” from the context menu, or go to the “Home” tab and click on the “Number” drop-down arrow, then select “More Number Formats”.
3. In the “Format Cells” dialog box, go to the “Custom” tab.
4. In the “Type” field, enter the custom date format using the formatting codes. For example, to display the date as “March 26, 2023”, you can use the code “MMMM DD, YYYY”.
5. Click “OK” to apply the custom format to the selected cells.

You can find a list of formatting codes for dates (and other data types) on the “Custom” tab of the “Format Cells” dialog box. Excel also provides a preview of the format as you type, so you can see how the date will look before you apply the format.

Converting Text to Date Format in Excel

Sometimes, you may have date values in your Excel sheet that are stored as text, which can cause issues when trying to perform calculations or sorting by date. Fortunately, Excel provides several functions that you can use to convert text to date format.

The most commonly used functions for converting text to date format in Excel are the “DATEVALUE” and “TEXT” functions. Here’s how you can use these functions:

• DATEVALUE function: This function converts a text string that represents a date to a date value in Excel. For example, if the date is stored as “03/26/2023” in text format, you can use the formula =DATEVALUE(“03/26/2023”) to convert it to a date value in Excel.

• TEXT function: This function converts a date value in Excel to a text string in the format that you specify. For example, if the date value is 03/26/2023, you can use the formula =TEXT(A1,”MM/DD/YYYY”) to convert it to a text string in the format of “03/26/2023”.

To use these functions, you need to create a formula that references the cell containing the text value and then apply the function to that cell. Excel also provides other functions such as “DATE”, “MONTH”, “DAY”, and “YEAR” that can be used to extract individual components of a date value.

Tips for Working with Dates in Excel

Here are some tips for working with dates in Excel:

1. Use consistent date formats: Ensure that all the dates in your Excel sheet are in the same format to avoid confusion and errors when performing calculations or sorting.

2. Use date functions: Excel provides a wide range of functions that can be used to manipulate date values, such as “DATEDIF”, “EOMONTH”, and “TODAY”. These functions can help you perform complex calculations with ease.

3. Be aware of date system: Excel supports two different date systems – the 1900 date system and the 1904 date system. Be aware of the date system you are using, especially if you are sharing the workbook with others who may be using a different system.

4. Check for errors: Double-check your date values to ensure that they are accurate and in the correct format. Excel may display dates in a different format than the one you entered, which can lead to errors if not corrected.

5. Use conditional formatting: You can use conditional formatting to highlight cells that contain specific date values, such as past due dates or upcoming deadlines. This can help you quickly identify important dates in your Excel sheet.