Introduction
Formatting date and time in Excel might seem like a simple task, but it plays a critical role in how your data is interpreted, presented, and analyzed. Whether you're a data analyst managing complex reports, a project manager tracking deadlines, or a small business owner recording transactions, mastering Excel datetime format ensures your spreadsheets are both functional and visually coherent.
Despite being one of the most widely used features in Microsoft Excel, many users still find working with Excel date time format confusing. Dates might appear incorrectly, times may not display as expected, and applying consistent formatting across a sheet often requires more than just a quick click. That’s because Excel stores dates and times as serial numbers behind the scenes — making it essential to understand how formatting affects what you see and how it behaves in formulas.
In this guide, we'll demystify the process and walk you through everything from basic formats to custom date-time patterns. We’ll also clarify common questions, like what is long date format in Excel, and show you how to customize formats to match your reporting needs. By the end of this post, you’ll have the confidence to manipulate date and time fields like a pro, turning raw data into clear, actionable insights.
What are the date and time formats in Excel?
Before we begin to dig deep into this topic, we shall discuss the small bits and pieces of date and time, its format, its importance in the MS Office suite, what it signifies and what we can do with it.
When you type a date and time in an Excel cell, then it appears according to the default date and time format. This default format is based on the settings that have been fed into the control panel of the system. Often this format is based on the regional settings, and these settings can be customized as per the user’s requirement.
Excel stores date and time as a sequence of numbers or integers, which is how it remembers the date and time settings.
Normally, the default date and time settings in Excel are as follows DD/MM/YYYY for the date and for the HH: MM. The right-handed slash is the delimiter for the date, month and year. For the time, the colon is the delimiter. This format is also called the short date and time format. It contains 8 numbers. For example, the date today is 18th November 2022, and the time is 12: 48 pm. Then the date and time according to the short date format will be 18/11/2022 and 12:48. The time will follow a 24-hour format.
There is also a long date and time format in Excel. The long date format is DD MM YYYY format; the only difference here is that the month is written in text. The long-time format is HH:MM: SS. As you can see, in the long-time format, the seconds are added. So, for the same date and time mentioned above, the date and time will be 18 November 2022 and 12:48:00, respectively.
There is also a standard date time format called the ISO 8601 format, that is followed universally. To know more about it read the article about ISO 8601 date time format, and how to alter the date time format in Google Sheets.
Why Format Date Time in Excel?
Excel stores date and time as numeric values. Formatting them properly allows you to:
- Display dates in readable formats (e.g.,
05-Jun-2025,June 5, 2025) - Show time in 12-hour or 24-hour formats
- Combine both date and time (e.g.,
06/05/2025 14:30) - Ensure consistency across regions (US vs. international formats)
- Prepare clean data for dashboards, reports, and exports
When data is formatted properly, it is easier to use in functions, charts, and pivot tables. Improper formatting can lead to errors in calculation and visual presentation.
How to change a Date Time format?
- Click on the Home tab in the number group. Click on the Dialogue Box Launcher which is next to the number. Other way to open dialogue box launcher by pressing CTRL + 1 or the right click button.
- Then in the category box, click on the Date or Time. Click on the format that closely resembles the date and time format you want. It is easier to start from a pre-existing format.
- Now, in the category box, you need to click on Custom. Then you need to click the type box and then make the changes that you want in the customized format.
Now, you have changed the default format to the custom format. The entire procedure of changing the date and time format is complete.
Custom Excel DateTime Formats
If the default formats don’t meet your needs, use the Custom category in the Format Cells dialog for greater control.
🔹 Common Custom Excel Date Formats:
| Format Code | Display Result |
|---|---|
dd/mm/yyyy | 05/06/2025 |
mmm dd, yyyy | Jun 05, 2025 |
dddd, mmmm dd, yyyy | Thursday, June 5, 2025 |
🔹 Common Time Formats:
| Format Code | Display Result |
hh:mm AM/PM | 02:30 PM |
hh:mm:ss | 14:30:00 |
🔹 Combine Date and Time:
| Format Code | Display Result |
dd-mm-yyyy hh:mm | 05-06-2025 14:30 |
m/d/yyyy h:mm AM/PM | 6/5/2025 2:30 PM |
These formats improve readability and help with time-stamped logs or scheduling data.
Fixing Common Date Time Formatting Issues
1: Date/Time Shows as
- Cause: Column is too narrow to display full value
- Fix: Widen the column or reduce the font size
2: Excel Treats Input as Text
- Cause: Imported data (CSV, text files) may treat date/time as plain text
- Fix: Use
=DATEVALUE()or=TIMEVALUE()to convert to proper format
3: Wrong Regional Format
- Fix: Go to File > Options > Regional Settings and set your preferred date/time locale
Advanced Use: Format Date Time with Formulas
Use the TEXT() function to convert date/time into readable text with a custom format.
=TEXT(A1, "dddd, mmmm dd, yyyy hh:mm AM/PM")
📆 Output: "Thursday, June 05, 2025 02:30 PM"
This is useful for labels, tooltips, or summary dashboards.
FAQs
Q1. How do I format both date and time in one Excel cell?
Use a custom format like dd/mm/yyyy hh:mm AM/PM.
Q2. Can I change the default date format in Excel?
Yes. Change your system’s regional settings or set a workbook-level format.
Q3. What is the difference between short and long date format in Excel?
Short date is numeric (e.g., 6/5/2025), while long date includes day and month names (e.g., Thursday, June 5, 2025).
Q4. Why does Excel not recognize my date?
It may be in text format. Convert it using DATEVALUE() or reformat with Text to Columns.
Conclusion
Mastering how to format a date time in Excel isn’t just about improving aesthetics—it’s about unlocking clarity, consistency, and efficiency in your data workflows. From applying a simple Excel date time format to customizing layouts with the long date format in Excel, these techniques help elevate your spreadsheets to a professional standard.
If you're looking to automate workflows like date-based triggers or time-sensitive actions in Google Workspace, check out xFanatical Foresight . It's a no-code automation platform designed to streamline repetitive tasks, helping teams save time and boost productivity. From organizing emails to scheduling Google Calendar events automatically, Foresight does it all—code-free.
