This Excel Tutorial demonstrates how to use the Excel DATEVALUE Function in Excel to convert a date stored as text into a date serial number, with formula examples.

DATEVALUE Function Description:

The DATEVALUE Function Converts a date stored as text into the date’s corresponding serial number.

Formula Examples:

Example	Formula	Result
Short Date	=DATEVALUE(C5)	1/1/2015
Long Text Date	=DATEVALUE(C6)	1/1/2015
No Year	=DATEVALUE(C7)	4/15/2015

Syntax and Arguments:

The Syntax for the DATEVALUE Formula is:

Function Arguments ( Inputs ):

date_text – The date stored as text. Example “11/12/2015”

Additional Notes

Use the DATEVALUE Function to convert a date stored as text into a valid date.

The result of the DATEVALUE Function may appear as a serial number. Change the cell Number Formatting to Short Date to display the serial number as a date:

DATEVALUE Examples in VBA

You can also use the DATEVALUE function in VBA. Type:
application.worksheetfunction.datevalue(date_text)
For the function arguments (date_text, etc.), you can either enter them directly into the function, or define variables to use instead.

Return to the List of all Functions in Excel

How to use the DATEVALUE Function in Excel:

To use the AND Excel Worksheet Function, type the following into a cell:
=AND(
After entering it in the cell, notice how the AND formula inputs appear below the cell:

You will need to enter these inputs into the function. The function inputs are covered in more detail in the next section. However, if you ever need more help with the function, after typing “=DATEVALUE(” into a cell, without leaving the cell, use the shortcut CTRL + A (A for Arguments) to open the “Insert Function Dialog Box” for detailed instructions:

For more information about the DATEVALUE Formula visit the
Microsoft Website.