Convert yyyy-mm-dd to date in Excel

Converting the yyyy-mm-dd format to a date format in Excel is essential for several reasons:

1. Date functions: Excel’s built-in date functions, such as calculating durations or finding the difference between dates, require data in date format.
2. Sorting and filtering: Converting the date format allows you to sort and filter data chronologically, making it easier to analyze and organize information.
3. Data validation: If you need to ensure that dates entered by users are valid, converting the format enables you to apply data validation rules specifically for dates.
4. Charting and visualization: Visual representations like charts benefit from dates in the date format, enabling accurate and meaningful visualizations of time-based data.
5. Compatibility: When sharing or importing data to other software or databases, using the standard date format ensures compatibility and avoids confusion.

How to convert yyyy-mm-dd-to standard date in Excel

Introduction: In Excel, dates are often represented in different formats. The YYYY-MM-DD format (year-month-day) is not the standard date format used in Excel, which is usually in the MM/DD/YYYY or DD/MM/YYYY format.

However, you can easily convert dates from the YYYY-MM-DD format to the standard format using Excel’s date functions.

In this tutorial, we will explain step-by-step how to convert dates from YYYY-MM-DD to the standard date format in Excel.

Step 1: Understanding the DATEVALUE Function The first step in converting the YYYY-MM-DD format to the standard date format is to understand and utilize the DATEVALUE function in Excel.

The DATEVALUE function converts a date stored as text into a serial number that represents the date in Excel’s internal date system.

Step 2: Select a Cell for Converted Date Select an empty cell where you want the converted date to appear. This cell will contain the formula to convert the date.

Step 3: Enter the Formula In the selected cell, enter the following formula: =DATEVALUE("YYYY-MM-DD") Replace “YYYY-MM-DD” with the cell reference or the actual date value you want to convert.

For example, if the date you want to convert is in cell A1, the formula should be: =DATEVALUE(A1)

Step 4: Format the Cell as Date After entering the formula, Excel will return the converted date as a serial number. To display it in the standard date format, you need to format the cell accordingly.

Right-click on the cell, select “Format Cells,” or press Ctrl + 1 to open the Format Cells dialog box.

In the Number tab, navigate to the “Date” category. Choose the desired format from the list, such as “Short Date” or “Long Date.”

Click “OK” to apply the formatting. The serial number will now be displayed as a standard date format.

Step 5: Copy and Paste the Formula If you have multiple dates to convert, you can simply copy the formula from the converted cell and paste it into other cells where you want to convert the dates.

Excel will automatically adjust the formula based on the relative cell references.

Converting “yyyymmdd” to Normal Date Format with Formula

Step 1: Understand the date format In order to convert the “yyyymmdd” format to a normal date format, it’s important to understand the structure of the date.

In this case, the year is represented by the first four characters (yyyy), the month by the next two characters (mm), and the day by the last two characters (dd).

Step 2: Create an Excel formula To convert the “yyyymmdd” format to a normal date format, you can use the following formula:

=DATE(LEFT(A1,4), MID(A1,5,2), RIGHT(A1,2))

Let’s break down the formula:

• A1: Refers to the cell containing the date in the “yyyymmdd” format. You may need to adjust the cell reference based on where your date is located.
• LEFT(A1, 4): Extracts the leftmost four characters (the year) from cell A1.
• MID(A1, 5, 2): Extracts the two characters representing the month from cell A1, starting from the fifth character.
• RIGHT(A1, 2): Extracts the rightmost two characters (the day) from cell A1.
• DATE(): This function takes the extracted year, month, and day values as arguments and returns a date value in Excel’s internal date format.

Step 3: Apply the formula Now that you have the formula ready, you can apply it to the desired range of cells that contain the “yyyymmdd” dates.

Simply enter the formula in a blank cell and then copy it down to the rest of the cells using the fill handle or any other suitable method.

The formula will calculate and convert each “yyyymmdd” date to the corresponding normal date format.

Excel will recognize the result as a date and you can apply different date formatting styles or use it in various calculations.

How to change date format and create custom formatting

Here’s a step-by-step guide:

1. Open Microsoft Excel and open the worksheet that contains the dates you want to format.
2. Select the cells containing the dates that you want to change the format of. You can select multiple cells by holding down the Shift key while clicking on the desired cells.
3. Right-click on the selected cells and choose “Format Cells” from the context menu. Alternatively, you can go to the “Home” tab, click on the “Number Format” drop-down arrow in the “Number” group, and select “More Number Formats.”
4. In the “Format Cells” dialog box, click on the “Number” tab if it is not already selected.
5. From the list of categories on the left side of the dialog box, select “Date.”
6. In the “Type” section, you will see various pre-defined date formats. Choose the format that best suits your needs. Excel provides options like “14-Mar-12,” “03/14/2012,” “March 14, 2012,” and more.
7. If you don’t find a pre-defined format that matches your requirements, you can create a custom date format. In the “Type” field, you can enter a combination of characters as per your preference. For example, “yyyy-mm-dd” displays the date in the format “2021-09-30.” Here are some commonly used format codes:
   • “yyyy“: 4-digit year
   • “yy“: 2-digit year
   • “mm“: 2-digit month
   • “mmm“: abbreviated month name
   • “mmmm“: full month name
   • “dd“: 2-digit day
   • “ddd“: abbreviated weekday name
   • “dddd“: full weekday name
8. As you enter the format codes, Excel will display a preview of how the date will appear based on your custom formatting.
9. Once you have entered the desired format, click the “OK” button to apply the changes. The selected dates will now be displayed in the new format.

How to convert 8-digit number to date in Excel

Here’s a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Understand the date format Before converting the 8-digit number to a date, you need to understand the structure of the number. In this case, the number represents the date in the format “YYYYMMDD.”

The first four digits represent the year, the next two digits represent the month, and the last two digits represent the day.

Step 2: Select the cells containing the 8-digit numbers Open your Excel worksheet and select the range of cells that contain the 8-digit numbers representing dates that you want to convert.

Step 3: Change the cell formatting Right-click on the selected cells and choose “Format Cells” from the context menu. Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut “Ctrl + 1″ to open the Format Cells dialog box.

Step 4: Choose the Date category In the Format Cells dialog box, navigate to the “Number” tab. From the list of categories, select “Date.”

Step 5: Select the desired date format In the Type section, choose the appropriate date format that matches your desired format.

For example, if you want the date format to be “mm/dd/yyyy,” you can select “03/14/2001” from the list.

Step 6: Click OK Once you have selected the desired date format, click the “OK” button to apply the changes.

Step 7: Verify the conversion The 8-digit numbers should now be converted into the corresponding date format. Excel will recognize the updated format as dates, allowing you to perform calculations or use different date functions with the converted dates.

Please note that changing the cell formatting does not alter the underlying values; it only changes how the dates are displayed. If you need to retain the converted dates as values, you can copy the converted range and use the “Paste Special” function to paste as values in a new range.

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