How to convert serial number to date in Excel?
Sometimes, when entering a date into a cell that has been formatted as number, you will get a serial number, such as 42088, instead of the normal date 3/25/2015. For converting these serial number to real date, the following methods in this article will help you.
Convert serial number to date with Format Cells function
Convert serial number to date with formula
Quickly convert serial number to date with Kutools for Excel
Comparison of Methods for Converting Serial Numbers to Dates in Excel
Excel stores dates as serial numbers, so a date may sometimes appear as a number such as 42088 instead of 3/25/2015. You can display these serial numbers as dates using Excel's Format Cells feature, create formatted results with the TEXT formula, or use Kutools for Excel's Apply Date Formatting feature.
| Comparison | Excel Format Cells | TEXT Formula | Kutools Apply Date Formatting |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it works | Select the serial numbers, open Format Cells, choose Date, and select the required date format | Use a formula such as =TEXT(A2,"m/d/yyyy") and fill it down | Select the serial numbers and choose the required format from the Date formatting list |
| Result type | Keeps the underlying serial value and displays it as a date | Returns the formatted date as text | Keeps the underlying serial value and displays it in the selected date format |
| Output | Changes the display of the original selected cells | Creates the formatted result in a separate helper column | Applies the selected date format directly to the original cells |
| Best for | Quickly displaying serial numbers as dates using Excel's built-in formatting | Creating a separate formatted text column while keeping the original serial numbers unchanged | Quickly applying a specific date format to multiple serial numbers from a ready-to-use format list |
Convert serial number to date with Format Cells function
The Format Cells function can help you easily convert serial number to date in Excel.
1. Select the cells with serial number that you want to convert to date, right click and then select Format Cells from the right-clicking menu. See screenshot:
2. In the Format Cells dialog box, please go to the Number tab, click Date in the Category box, and if you need, specify a date format in the Type box, and finally click the OK button. See screenshot:
Then the selected cells with serial numbers are converted to dates immediately.
Easily convert serial number to any kind of date format in Excel:
The Kutools for Excel's Apply Date Formatting utility helps you easily convert all serial numbers in a range to any kind of date format as you need in Excel.
Download Kutools for Excel now! (30-day free trail)
Convert serial number to date with formula
You can also convert serial number to date with formula in Excel. Please do as follows.
1. Select a blank cell (says cell B2) adjacent to the serial number cell you need to convert to date, then enter formula =TEXT(A2,"m/d/yyyy") into the Formula Bar, and press the Enter key.
2. Keep selecting cell B2, then drag its Fill Handle to the cell with the serial number you need to convert to date. Then you can see all serial numbers are converted to corresponding dates in a helper column.
Convert serial number to date with Kutools for Excel
Besides the above two methods, The Apply Date Formatting utility of Kutools for Excel can not only help you converting serial numbers to dates, but providing various date formatting for you to use.
1. Select the cells with serial numbers you need to convert to date, then click Kutools > Format > Apply Date Formatting. See screenshot:
2. And in the Apply Date Formatting dialog box, choose a kind of date format from the Date formatting box, and finally click the OK button.
You can see the selected cells with serial numbers are converted to specific date format immediately.
Conclusion
Excel's Format Cells is the simplest built-in solution when the numbers are valid Excel date serial numbers. Select the cells, choose Date in Format Cells, and select the required date format. The underlying values remain unchanged, so the dates can still be used normally in calculations.
The TEXT Formula is useful when you want to keep the original serial numbers and create formatted date results in another column. Using =TEXT(A2,"m/d/yyyy") returns the corresponding date as text, and the formula can be filled down for additional serial numbers.
Kutools for Excel's Apply Date Formatting provides a more visual way to format serial numbers as dates. Select the cells, choose the required format from the Date formatting list, and apply it directly. This is especially convenient when you want to quickly apply a specific date format without manually setting up the format.
Related articles:
- How to change American date format in Excel?
- How to convert birthdate to age quickly in Excel?
- How to remove year from date in Excel?
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