How To Stop Google Sheets From Changing Date Format

How to Stop Google Sheets from Changing Date Format

Change Cell Format to "Plain Text"

To prevent Google Sheets from automatically changing date formats, set the cell format to "Plain Text." Navigate to "Format" and then "Number," and select "Plain Text" from the list. This effectively disables automatic date formatting, ensuring that your dates remain unchanged.

Use Google Sheets API for Batch Updates

Another method is to use the Google Sheets API to send a batch update that changes the cell format to Date. While this approach requires API access, it allows for programmatically maintaining date formats across multiple cells.

Disabling "Automatic" Formatting

Disabling the "Automatic" option in the "Number" format settings also helps stop Google Sheets from changing the date format automatically. Navigate to "Format," then "Number," and ensure "Automatic" is disabled.

Setting Locale and Time Zone

Setting the correct locale and time zone in the spreadsheet settings ensures consistent date formatting. This can be done by navigating to the spreadsheet settings and selecting the appropriate locale and time zone that match your data's date format.

Using Custom Date Formats

Utilize the "Custom date formats" option to specify formats that fit your needs. This can be adjusted by selecting the desired cells, navigating to "Format," then "Number," and choosing "Custom date and time."

Leveraging Apps Scripts

You can also use Apps Scripts to lock date formatting within Google Sheets. Custom scripts can enforce consistent date formats across specified columns, preventing any unwanted changes.

Applying and Copying Formats

To apply a specific date format to multiple cells, select the column, apply your desired format, and use the Paint Format tool to quickly copy this format to other cells.

Using Functions to Maintain Formats

Functions like TEXT, QUERY, DATE, and MID can be useful in maintaining and applying date formats. The TEXT function formats dates in individual columns, while the QUERY function can format dates across multiple columns using the FORMAT clause.

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