Convert Text to Date in Google Sheets: A Step-by-Step Guide

Google Sheets Convert Text to Date

Converting text to date in Google Sheets is a common task that can be accomplished using various methods, including formulas and formatting options. This guide will explore different ways to convert text into dates, ensuring your data is correctly recognized and formatted for any calculations or analysis you need to perform.

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Convert Text to Date in Google Sheets

To convert text to a date in Google Sheets, you can use built-in functions like DATE, DATEVALUE, and formulas involving TEXT or QUERY functions. These methods allow for flexibility in handling various date formats and ensure that your text is accurately converted into a date format that Google Sheets can recognize for further operations.

Google Sheets Date Formula

The 'DATE' function is a straightforward way to create dates in Google Sheets. The syntax is '=DATE(year, month, day)', where 'year', 'month', and 'day' are the date components you want to combine into a date. For example, '=DATE(2023, 1, 1)' returns the date for January 1, 2023. This function is useful for constructing dates from separate year, month, and day values.

The 'DATEVALUE' function converts a date string in a known format to a date value. The syntax is '=DATEVALUE("date_string")', where "date_string" is the text representing the date. Google Sheets understands various date string formats, depending on your locale settings. For example, '=DATEVALUE("2023-01-01")' converts the string to a date value for January 1, 2023.

Google Sheets Format Date as Text

To format a date as text, you can use the 'TEXT' function. This function converts a numeric value to text in a specified format. The syntax is '=TEXT(value, "format_text")', where 'value' is the date you want to format, and "format_text" specifies the format. For instance, '=TEXT(TODAY(), "mmmm d, yyyy")' returns the current date formatted as a full month name, day, and four-digit year.

Another method to format dates as text involves using custom date formats. Select the cells containing dates, go to 'Format' > 'Number' > 'Custom date and time', and enter your desired format. This allows for a high degree of customization in how your dates are displayed.

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Google Sheets Convert Text to Date

For converting text to date, the 'DATEVALUE' function is particularly useful. However, if your text dates are in a format that Google Sheets does not recognize, you may need to use additional strategies. One approach is to use the 'SPLIT' function to separate the text into components and then recombine them using the 'DATE' function. Alternatively, for complex or inconsistent date formats, you might consider using Google Sheets add-ons or scripts that provide more advanced parsing capabilities.

Remember, the success of converting text to dates often depends on the format of your text and your spreadsheet's locale settings. Ensuring consistency in your date formats and correctly setting your locale can help avoid conversion errors.

While converting text to date in Google Sheets can be done manually using various functions and formulas, automating this process can significantly streamline your workflow, especially when dealing with large datasets or frequent updates. Automation can ensure consistency, reduce errors, and save a significant amount of time. For these tasks, Bardeen offers powerful playbooks that can be customized to fit your specific needs.

Here are some examples of how Bardeen can automate tasks in Google Sheets that are related to managing dates and data:

1. Copy a newly created Asana task to Google Sheets: This playbook can streamline project management by automatically transferring tasks from Asana to a designated Google Sheets document, ensuring that your task list is always up-to-date.
2. Save selected text to Google Sheets, when I right-click: Ideal for research and data collection, this playbook allows you to effortlessly save any selected text to Google Sheets with just a right-click, making data compilation more efficient.
3. Save data from the Google News page to Google Sheets: Keep abreast of the latest news or gather specific information from Google News by automatically saving data directly to Google Sheets, perfect for monitoring mentions or industry trends.