How to convert date to serial number in Excel?

If you receive a sheet with some dates, now you want to convert these dates to serial numbers as below screenshot shown, how can you quickly solve it? Here I have some ways can do you a nice favor.

Convert date to serial number with Format Cells

Convert date to serial number with DATEVALUE

Convert serial number to multiple date format with Kutools for Excel

Convert multiple non-standard date format to standard date with Kutools for Excel

Convert date to serial number with Format Cells

To convert date to serial number, you can change the cell format to general.

1. Select the date cells, and right click to display context menu, select Format Cells.

2. In the Format Cells dialog, under Number tab, select General from the Category list. Click OK.

Then the date cells has been converted to serial numbers.

Convert date to serial number with DATEVALUE

Also, you can apply the DATEVALUE function to convert date cells to serial numbers.

Select a blank cell which will place the serial number, type this formula =DATEVALUE("8/8/2017"), press Enter key. Now the date in formula will be displayed as serial number.

Convert serial number to multiple date format with Kutools for Excel

If you want to convert serial numbers to multiple date formats as below screenshot shown, you can apply Kutools for Excel’s Apply Date Formatting utility. This utility can help you convert serial numbers to year, month, day, or mm-dd-yyyy or other formats.

After installing Kutools for Excel, please do as below:

1. Select the serial numbers you want to convert to dates, click Kutools > Format > Apply Date Formatting.

2. In the Apply Date Formatting dialog, select the date format you want to apply in left pane, then you can preview the result in right pane.

3. Click Ok or Apply.

Convert multiple non-standard date format to standard date with Kutools for Excel

If you have received a sheet with non-standard date cells, you may want to convert them to the standard date format mm/dd/yyyy. Here I have a kind add-in—Kutools for Excel introduce to you, its Convert to Date utility can do you a favor.

After installing Kutools for Excel, please do as below:（Free Download Kutools for Excel Now!)

Select the dates you want to convert to standard date format, click Kutools > Content > Convert to Date.

Now the dates have been converted to standard date format.