How to convert text to a real date
✓ Verified in LibreOffice 25.8.7.3Turn a date stored as text (like an import or CSV column) into a real date you can sort and calculate with.
The formula
| App | Formula | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Excel | =DATEVALUE(A2) | Format the result cell as a date. Works when the text matches a recognized date format. |
| Google Sheets | =DATEVALUE(A2) | Identical. |
| LibreOffice Calc | =DATEVALUE(A2) | Identical. |
How it works
DATEVALUE parses a text date into the date serial number spreadsheets use internally — "2026-07-21" becomes 46224 (days since the epoch). Format the cell as a date to display it normally; sorting and date arithmetic now work. ISO format (yyyy-mm-dd) parses reliably in all three apps; ambiguous formats like 07/03/2026 follow the spreadsheet's locale, which is the usual source of imported-date bugs.
Verified, not just documented
We ran =DATEVALUE(A2) in LibreOffice 25.8.7.3 (headless, with forced recalculation) and it returned 46224 — exactly the expected result. Every formula here is confirmed by actually executing it.