Google Sheets Date Format — Complete List + Examples (2026)

Quick Reference: Common Google Sheets Date Formats

Replace A1 with your cell reference. For current date/time, use TODAY() or NOW() instead of a cell reference.

How to Format Dates in Google Sheets (3 Methods)

Need to change how dates appear in Google Sheets? There are three ways to do it: using the Format menu (easiest), TEXT() formulas (most flexible), or custom number formats.

Method 1: Use the Format Menu (Easiest)

This is the quickest way to change how dates display in your sheet. The actual date value doesn't change — just how it's shown.

1. Select the cells containing the dates you want to format (or click the column header to select the entire column)
2. Go to Format → Number in the top menu
3. Choose "Date" or "Time" from the dropdown
4. Select a format from the list (or click "More Formats" for custom options)

Google Sheets will immediately apply the format to the selected cells.

Method 2: TEXT() Formula (Most Flexible)

Use the TEXT() function when you need to convert a date to a specific text format. This is useful when building reports or concatenating dates with other text.

Basic syntax:

=TEXT(date_value, "format_code")

Examples:

Format codes:

• MM = month as 2 digits (01-12)
• MMM = month abbreviation (Jan, Feb, etc.)
• MMMM = full month name
• DD = day as 2 digits (01-31)
• D = day without leading zero (1-31)
• YYYY = 4-digit year
• YY = 2-digit year
• DDD = day of week abbreviation (Mon, Tue, etc.)
• DDDD = full day of week name
• HH = hour (00-23)
• MM = minute (00-59)
• SS = second (00-59)
• AM/PM = 12-hour format with AM/PM

Method 3: Custom Number Format

For reusable formatting without formulas, create a custom number format:

1. Select the cells with dates
2. Go to Format → Number → More Formats → Custom number format
3. Enter your format code (e.g., MM/DD/YYYY or YYYY-MM-DD)
4. Click Apply

The benefit: the cell still contains the actual date value (so you can use it in calculations), but it displays in your custom format.

Using Date Formats with Sheet Monkey

If you're using Sheet Monkey to collect form submissions in Google Sheets, the service automatically adds timestamps when forms are submitted using automatic date time fields.

Pro tip: When Sheet Monkey inserts new rows, it copies the formatting from the previous row. So just format the first timestamp cell the way you want it, and all future submissions will use the same format automatically.

Common Date Format Use Cases

ISO 8601 format (YYYY-MM-DD): Best for sorting and data exports. Use =TEXT(A1,"YYYY-MM-DD")

US format (MM/DD/YYYY): Most common in the United States. Use =TEXT(A1,"MM/DD/YYYY")

European format (DD/MM/YYYY): Common in Europe and other regions. Use =TEXT(A1,"DD/MM/YYYY")

Readable format (Month D, YYYY): Best for reports and presentations. Use =TEXT(A1,"MMMM D, YYYY")

Short format (MM/DD/YY): Saves space in tight columns. Use =TEXT(A1,"MM/DD/YY")

Need to convert dates when submitting forms to Google Sheets? Check out our guide on how to submit HTML forms to Google Sheets or try our free form builder for Google Sheets.