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TO_DATE

The TO_DATE formula in Google Sheets is a parser function that converts a valid date string into a date format. The function is used to convert text strings into dates that can be used to perform calculations.

Usage

Use the TO_DATE formula with the syntax shown below, it has 1 required parameter:

=TO_DATE(value)
Parameters:
  1. value (required):
    The text string representing the date that needs to be converted. The string must be in a valid date format recognized by Google Sheets.

Examples

Here are a few example use cases that explain how to use the TO_DATE formula in Google Sheets.

Convert text string to date format

The TO_DATE formula is commonly used to convert text strings representing dates into a date format that can be used for calculations.

Convert imported data into date format

When importing data from external sources, the data may not be in a date format that is recognized by Google Sheets. The TO_DATE formula can be used to convert the imported data into a date format that can be used for calculations.

Convert date in one format to another format

The TO_DATE formula can be used to convert a date in one format to another format. This is useful when the date format used in a sheet needs to be changed.

Common Mistakes

TO_DATE not working? Here are some common mistakes people make when using the TO_DATE Google Sheets Formula:

Incorrect input format

The TO_DATE formula requires a valid date input in the format of text or serial number. If the input is in a different format, the formula will return an error.

Missing input value

If the TO_DATE formula is missing an input value or if the input value is blank, the formula will return an error.

Incorrect syntax

If the syntax of the TO_DATE formula is incorrect or incomplete, the formula will return an error.

Invalid date input

If the value inputted in the TO_DATE formula is not a valid date, the formula will return an error.

Incorrect timezone format

If the timezone format inputted in the TO_DATE formula is incorrect or incomplete, the formula will return an error.

Related Formulas

The following functions are similar to TO_DATE or are often used with it in a formula:

  • DATEVALUE

    The DATEVALUE formula in Google Sheets converts a date string into a date value that Google Sheets can recognize as a date. This formula is commonly used when data is imported or copied into Google Sheets from other sources that may not recognize date values. The formula can be used to convert a variety of date string formats into a date value that Google Sheets can work with.

  • DATEDIF

    The DATEDIF function in Google Sheets calculates the difference between two dates using a specified unit of measurement. This function is commonly used to calculate the length of time between two dates, such as the number of days, months, or years. The function is particularly useful when working with financial or project planning data.

  • YEAR

    The YEAR formula in Google Sheets returns the year of a specified date. This function is useful when you need to extract the year from a date for analysis or calculations. The YEAR formula takes one argument, which is the date from which to extract the year. The output is a four-digit number representing the year.

  • MONTH

    The MONTH formula is used to extract the month from a given date, returning it as a number between 1 and 12. This function is commonly used to summarize and analyze data that includes dates.

  • DAY

    The DAY function is used to extract the day of the month from a given date. It takes in a single argument, a date in a valid format, and returns the day of the month as a number between 1 and 31. This function can be useful for tasks such as sorting or filtering data based on the day of the month.

Learn More

You can learn more about the TO_DATE Google Sheets function on Google Support.