Dates & Time

Excel formula for Format a date as text

Turn a date into a text string in any layout you choose.

Copy this formula

=TEXT(A2, "yyyy-mm-dd")

How the formula works

TEXT converts a date to text using a format pattern — "yyyy-mm-dd" for ISO, "dd/mm/yyyy" for European, "mmm d, yyyy" for a friendly label. Use it when joining dates into sentences or filenames.

Examples

="Report — "&TEXT(A2, "mmm d, yyyy")→Report — Jun 23, 2026

Joins a formatted date into a label.

FAQ

Why join with TEXT instead of just &?

Joining a raw date with & shows its serial number. TEXT keeps the readable format.

Related formulas

Get the month name from a date Convert text to a real date

Functions used

TEXT

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