Working with dates in Google Sheets can sometimes be tricky, especially when you need to extract numerical values or perform calculations that require dates in a specific format. One common issue is dealing with dates displayed in a formatted way, which can hinder your analysis and manipulation of the data.
How to Get Rid of Date Format in Google Sheets
This guide will walk you through various methods to remove the date format from cells in Google Sheets, allowing you to treat the data as plain text or numerical values.
Why Remove Date Format?
There are several reasons why you might want to remove the date format from your Google Sheets cells:
- Performing calculations involving dates as numbers
- Extracting individual components of a date (year, month, day)
- Converting dates to text strings for specific formatting needs
How To Get Rid Of Date Format in Google Sheets
Sometimes, when you import data or work with dates in Google Sheets, they might appear as formatted dates instead of plain text. This can be inconvenient if you need to perform calculations or manipulate the dates in a specific way. Fortunately, there are several methods to easily remove the date format in Google Sheets.
Methods to Remove Date Format
Here are the most common ways to get rid of date format in Google Sheets:
1. Using the TEXT Function
The TEXT function allows you to convert a date into a text string with a custom format. To remove the date format completely, you can use the following syntax:
`=TEXT(A1, “General”)` (See Also: How To Bullet Point In Google Sheets)
Replace A1 with the cell containing the date you want to convert. This formula will display the date as plain text.
2. Converting to Numbers
Google Sheets stores dates as serial numbers. You can convert a date to its corresponding serial number and then format it as text. Here’s how:
1. Select the cell containing the date.
2. Go to “Format” > “Number” > “More formats”.
3. Choose “Number” as the category and select “Plain text” as the format.
3. Using the TO_TEXT Function
The TO_TEXT function is specifically designed to convert dates and times to text strings. It offers more flexibility in terms of formatting options. For example: (See Also: How Does Filter Work In Google Sheets)
`=TO_TEXT(A1, “yyyy-MM-dd”)`
This formula will convert the date in cell A1 to the text format “yyyy-MM-dd”.
Recap
Removing the date format in Google Sheets is essential for various data manipulation tasks. The TEXT function, converting to numbers, and using the TO_TEXT function are effective methods to achieve this. Choose the method that best suits your needs and remember to adjust the formulas accordingly.
Frequently Asked Questions: Getting Rid of Date Format in Google Sheets
How do I change a date from a formatted date to plain text in Google Sheets?
You can easily convert a formatted date to plain text by using the TEXT function. For example, if your date is in cell A1, you can use the formula `=TEXT(A1,””)` to display it as plain text. The empty quotes indicate that you want to remove any formatting.
Why is my date appearing as text in Google Sheets?
Sometimes, dates are imported or entered into Google Sheets as text instead of actual dates. This can happen if the data source doesn’t recognize the date format or if you manually type the date without using a date format.
Can I convert a range of dates from formatted to text?
Absolutely! You can apply the TEXT function to a range of cells just like you would to a single cell. For example, if your dates are in cells A1 to A10, you could use the formula `=TEXT(A1:A10,””)` in another cell to convert them all to text.
What if I want to keep the date format but remove specific parts like the time?
You can use the DATE function to extract only the date portion from a date-time value. For example, if your date-time value is in cell A1, you can use the formula `=DATE(A1)` to display only the date.
How do I know if a cell contains a date or text?
You can use the ISDATE function to check if a cell contains a valid date. For example, if you want to check if cell A1 contains a date, you could use the formula `=ISDATE(A1)`. This will return TRUE if A1 contains a date and FALSE if it contains text.