Date & Time
Convert Text to Date
Convert text that looks like a date into an actual date value that Excel/Sheets can use in calculations. Handles various text formats.
Excel Formula
=DATEVALUE(A2)Step-by-Step Explanation
1
DATEVALUE converts a text string to a date serial number
2
A2 contains the text representation of a date
3
Recognizes formats like "March 15, 2026" or "3/15/2026"
4
The result may need to be formatted as a date
5
For more complex formats, combine with text functions
Example
| Text Date (A) | Date Value (B) |
|---|---|
| March 15, 2026 | 3/15/2026 |
| 2026-03-15 | 3/15/2026 |
| 15-Mar-2026 | 3/15/2026 |
Result: Formula in B2: =DATEVALUE(A2) → 3/15/2026
Common Variations
From YYYYMMDD
=DATE(LEFT(A2,4),MID(A2,5,2),RIGHT(A2,2))Parse 20260315 format
From DD/MM/YYYY
=DATE(RIGHT(A2,4),MID(A2,4,2),LEFT(A2,2))European date format
Combine date + time
=DATEVALUE(A2)+TIMEVALUE(B2)Merge text date and time
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