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How to convert dates to text or text formatting date to real date in Excel?

Let's say you have a list of dates as the first screen shot shown. When you format these dates as text directly, these dates display as numbers as the second screen shot shown. Therefore, how to format dates as text, but still show like dates in Excel? There are two methods to solve it.

Convert dates to text strings with TEXT function

Convert dates to text strings with Kutools for Excel (only 1 step)

Convert text formatting dates to real dates with Kutools for Excel (only 1 step)

Original Dates:

Format as text:

Text format but show like dates:


arrow blue right bubbleConvert dates to text strings with TEXT function

We can apply the TEXT function to format a date as text but still show the text string like a date in Excel easily.

Select a blank cell besides first date, and enter the formula =TEXT(A2,"DD/MM/YYYY") into it, and then drag the Fill Handle to the range you need

Then you will see all dates are converted to text strings, and displayed like normally dates in cells. See below screen shot:

Note: you can change the displayed date type by changing the order of "DD/MM/YYYY" in the formula.


arrow blue right bubbleConvert dates to text strings with Kutools for Excel

The second method is to apply the To Actual utility of Kutools for Excel, which can help us to convert all dates to text strings with only one click.

Kutools for Excel - Packed with over 300 essential tools for Excel. Enjoy a full-featured 30-day FREE trial with no credit card required! Download now!

Select the dates that you will convert to text strings, and click the To Actual button on the Kutools tab.

Then you will see all dates are formatted as text strings, but still display like dates as below screen shot shown:

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arrow blue right bubble Convert text formatting dates to real dates with Kutools for Excel

For example you copy a list of dates from a Word document and paste into current workbook, but these dates are pasted as text strings. In this condition, you can apply Kutools for Excel’s Convert to Date utility to change these text formatting dates to real dates with only one click.

Kutools for Excel - Packed with over 300 essential tools for Excel. Enjoy a full-featured 30-day FREE trial with no credit card required! Download now!

Select the list of text formatting dates you will convert to real date, and click the Kutools > Content > Convert to Date.

Then you will see all selected text formatting dates are converted to real dates at once.

And Kutools for Excel will list all converting results in the opening Convert to Date dialog box as below screenshot shown. Please close this dialog box.

Kutools for Excel - Supercharge Excel with over 300 essential tools. Enjoy a full-featured 30-day FREE trial with no credit card required! Get It Now


arrow blue right bubbleRelated Article

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Good day, I have been using kutools for almost 10 years and it does make my life easy, but there is one thing I must bring up and it is the Convert text formatting dates to real dates with Kutools for Excel only work once in one work book or sheet. it will not work again unless you shut down your computer and start all over again. I really think they need to look at this issue.
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