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Date function

DATEVALUE

Converts a date written as text into a date serial number.

CommonDifficulty 1050 · CapableUsage rank #157 of 520
Practice · 3 questions →

When to use it

Converts a date written as text into a real date serial. The fix for dates imported as text.

The shape of it

Syntax
=DATEVALUE(date_text)

Worked examples

  • US text date

    =DATEVALUE("3/15/2025") → 45731

    Format the cell as a date to see 3/15/2025.

  • Day-month-year text

    =DATEVALUE("15-Mar-2025") → 45731

    Many text forms are understood.

  • ISO text

    =DATEVALUE("2025-03-15") → 45731

    ISO format.

Worth knowing

  • Text dates sit left-aligned; real dates sit right-aligned. That is the quick check.
  • Data, Text to Columns, with a date column type converts a whole column without formulas.
  • Time portions in the text are dropped; use VALUE to keep them.

Where it goes wrong

  • #VALUE! for text Excel cannot parse, including formats from another region.
  • Ambiguous dates like "3/4/2025" follow the system locale.

Related

TODAYDATEMONTHYEARNOWDAY

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