Entering Dates as Text in Excel

 Last reviewed: November 2, 1994
Article ID: Q27942
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 2.x, 3.0, 4.0, 4.0a, 5.0
  • Microsoft Excel for OS/2 versions 2.2, 2.21, and 3.0

When entering a date such as Jan 1 in a cell, Excel automatically uses a date format. To have the date appear in the cell as typed without using quotation marks to indicate a text string, place a space before the string. Excel then assumes the string is text and will not change to a date format.

KBCategory: kbusage
KBSubcategory:

Additional words: 5.00 2.0 2.00 2.01 2.1 2.10 2.2 2.20 2.21 3.0
3.00 4.0 4.00 4.00a

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Last reviewed: November 2, 1994
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