Google Sheets Date Format Not Working: Complete Troubleshooting Guide

Nothing's more frustrating than spending time formatting dates in Google Sheets only to have them display incorrectly, break your charts, or cause formulas to fail. If you're dealing with Google Sheets date format not working issues, you're not alone—date formatting problems are among the most common spreadsheet headaches.

Whether your dates are showing as numbers, your custom formats aren't applying, or your MONTH() function isn't recognizing dd/mm/yyyy formats, this guide will walk you through every solution. We'll cover the most common causes and provide step-by-step fixes for each scenario.

Why Google Sheets Date Formats Fail

The Root Cause: Text vs Date Values

The number one reason date format not working in Google Sheets occurs is that your "dates" are actually stored as text, not date values. Google Sheets can only apply date formatting to cells it recognizes as actual dates.
When you import data from other sources, copy-paste from websites, or manually enter dates in non-standard formats, Google Sheets often treats these entries as text strings rather than date values.

Regional Settings and Locale Issues

Google Sheets uses your account's locale settings to interpret date formats. If your data uses dd/mm/yyyy format but your account is set to US locale (mm/dd/yyyy), Google Sheets may not recognize your dates correctly.

Mixed Data Types in Columns

Having a mix of properly formatted dates and text strings in the same column can cause formatting issues and break functions that expect consistent date values.

Quick Diagnosis: Is Your Date Actually a Date?

Before diving into solutions, let's identify what type of data you're working with:

Test 1: Check Cell Alignment

• Real dates: Automatically align to the right in cells
• Text dates: Align to the left by default

Test 2: Try Basic Math

• Select a cell with your "date"
• Type =A1+1 (replacing A1 with your cell reference)
• If it returns a date one day later: Your data is a proper date
• If it returns an error: Your data is text

Test 3: Format Menu Response

• Select your date cell
• Go to Format > Number > Date
• If formatting applies: You have a real date
• If nothing changes: You have text that looks like a date

Fix 1: Converting Text Dates to Proper Dates

Method 1: Using DATEVALUE Function

If your dates are stored as text, use the DATEVALUE function to convert them

=DATEVALUE("12/25/2024")
=DATEVALUE(A1)

This works for most standard date text formats and will convert them to proper date values that can be formatted.

Method 2: Text to Columns Conversion

For entire columns of text dates:

1. Select your date column
2. Go to Data > Split text to columns
3. Choose "Custom" separator
4. Leave the separator field empty and click "Split"
5. Google Sheets will attempt to auto-detect and convert date formats

Method 3: Manual Conversion for dd/mm/yyyy

If you have dd/mm/yyyy text dates that aren't being recognized:

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

This formula extracts day, month, and year from a dd/mm/yyyy text string and creates a proper date.

Fix 2: Custom Date Format Not Working Solutions

Google Sheets custom date format not working often happens when the underlying data isn't recognized as dates. Here's how to fix it:

Step 1: Ensure Data is Date Format First

Before applying custom formatting, make sure your data is recognized as dates using the methods above.

Step 2: Apply Custom Format Correctly

1. Select your date cells
2. Go to Format > Number > More formats > More date and time formats
3. Create your custom format using these codes:

• dd = day with leading zero (01, 02, etc.)
• d = day without leading zero (1, 2, etc.)
• mm = month with leading zero (01, 02, etc.)
• m = month without leading zero (1, 2, etc.)
• yyyy = four-digit year
• yy = two-digit year

Step 3: Common Custom Format Examples

• dd/mm/yyyy for 25/12/2024
• mm-dd-yyyy for 12-25-2024
• dd mmm yyyy for 25 Dec 2024
• dddd, mmmm dd, yyyy for Wednesday, December 25, 2024

Fix 3: Date Format Not Working with Weekdays

Google Sheets date format not working with weekday issues usually stem from trying to format text as dates or using incorrect format codes.

Solution for Weekday Display Issues

If your weekdays aren't showing correctly:

1. Verify your data is in date format (not text)
2. Use proper weekday format codes:

• dddd = full weekday name (Wednesday)
• ddd = abbreviated weekday (Wed)
• d = weekday number (4 for Wednesday)

Formula Alternative for Weekdays

If formatting isn't working, use the WEEKDAY function:

=TEXT(A1,"dddd")

This converts any proper date to its weekday name.

Common Weekday Formula Solutions

=TEXT(A1,"dddd, mmmm dd, yyyy")    // Wednesday, December 25, 2024
=WEEKDAY(A1,2)                     // Returns 1-7 (Monday = 1)
=TEXT(WEEKDAY(A1),"dddd")         // Converts weekday number to name

Fix 4: Date Format Issues in Charts

Google Sheets date format not working for chart problems typically occur when the chart doesn't recognize your date column as time-series data.

Solution Steps for Chart Date Issues

Step 1: Fix Source Data

Ensure your date column contains proper date values (not text) before creating the chart.

Step 2: Chart Setup

1. Select your data range including dates
2. Insert > Chart
3. In Chart Editor, go to Setup tab
4. Set X-axis to your date column
5. Chart type should automatically detect time-series data

Step 3: Format Chart Date Axis

1. In Chart Editor, go to Customize tab
2. Select "Horizontal axis"
3. Choose your preferred date format from the Format dropdown

Step 4: Manual Chart Date Formatting

If automatic detection fails:

1. Double-click your chart
2. Chart Editor > Customize > Horizontal axis
3. Under "Format," select "Date"
4. Choose your preferred date display format

Fix 5: MONTH() Function Not Working with dd/mm/yyyy

The issue month() not working for date format of dd/mm/yyyy google sheets typically occurs when your dd/mm/yyyy data is stored as text rather than proper dates.

Solution 1: Convert Text to Date First

If your dd/mm/yyyy data is text:

=MONTH(DATEVALUE(A1))

Solution 2: Extract Month from dd/mm/yyyy Text

For text in dd/mm/yyyy format:

=VALUE(MID(A1,4,2))

This extracts characters 4-5 (the month) and converts them to a number.

Solution 3: Comprehensive dd/mm/yyyy Conversion

Create a proper date first, then use MONTH():

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

Alternative MONTH() Formulas for Different Formats

// For mm/dd/yyyy text
=MONTH(DATEVALUE(A1))

// For yyyy-mm-dd text
=VALUE(MID(A1,6,2))

// For dd-mm-yyyy text
=VALUE(MID(A1,4,2))

Prevention: Best Practices for Date Management

Import Data Correctly

When importing from CSV or other sources:

1. Use File > Import
2. Select "Convert text to numbers, dates, and formulas"
3. Review the preview to ensure dates are recognized correctly

Standardize Date Entry

Establish consistent date entry formats across your team:

• Use YYYY-MM-DD format for universal recognition
• Or ensure everyone uses the same regional format
• Consider data validation rules to enforce consistent formats

Regional Settings Management

Check your Google Sheets locale:

1. File > Settings
2. Review "Locale" and "Time zone" settings
3. Adjust if they don't match your data format expectations

Advanced Troubleshooting Techniques

Using ISDATE Function to Test

Create a helper column to identify which cells contain proper dates:

=IF(ISDATE(A1),"Date","Text")

Batch Conversion Formula

To convert an entire column of text dates:

=ARRAYFORMULA(IF(A1:A100="","",DATEVALUE(A1:A100)))

Handling Mixed Date Formats

For columns with mixed dd/mm/yyyy and mm/dd/yyyy formats:

=IF(VALUE(LEFT(A1,2))>12,
    DATE(RIGHT(A1,4),MID(A1,4,2),LEFT(A1,2)),
    DATEVALUE(A1))

When to Consider Alternative Solutions

If you're frequently struggling with date formatting issues in Google Sheets, it might be time to consider more robust data management solutions. Platforms like Noloco offer built-in date handling that automatically manages formatting, validation, and display without the manual troubleshooting required in spreadsheets.

For businesses managing complex data workflows, dedicated database solutions can eliminate these formatting headaches while providing better data integrity and user experience.

Conclusion

Google Sheets date format not working issues are frustrating but almost always solvable. The key is identifying whether you're working with proper date values or text that looks like dates, then applying the appropriate conversion and formatting techniques.

Remember these key troubleshooting steps:

1. Test if your data is actually recognized as dates
2. Convert text to proper date values when necessary
3. Apply formatting only after ensuring proper date values
4. Use locale-appropriate formats for your data
5. Consider helper formulas for complex conversion needs

With these solutions, you should be able to resolve most date formatting issues and get your spreadsheets working smoothly. For more advanced data management needs, explore our other guides on building robust business applications that handle data formatting automatically.

Quick Reference: Common Date Formulas

// Convert text date to proper date
=DATEVALUE(A1)

// Extract month from dd/mm/yyyy text
=VALUE(MID(A1,4,2))

// Create date from dd/mm/yyyy text
=DATE(RIGHT(A1,4), MID(A1,4,2), LEFT(A1,2))

// Format date with weekday
=TEXT(A1,"dddd, mm/dd/yyyy")

// Test if cell contains date
=ISDATE(A1)

Keep this reference handy for quick solutions to common date format not working in Google Sheets scenarios

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