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How to Fix Excel Online Pasting Dates as Hash Marks (#####)
Question details
Users experience an issue where dates copied from a desktop Excel file paste as literal hash marks (#####) into Excel Online.
- Product
- Microsoft Excel
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Copying date values from a desktop spreadsheet where columns are too narrow and pasting them into Excel Online.
- Observed behavior
- Excel Online displays the pasted cells as hash marks (#####) instead of their underlying date values.
Before you begin troubleshooting, ensure that you have access to the original desktop Excel file where the data is being copied from, as the fix requires adjusting the source data.
Widen Source Columns Before Copying
This is the most straightforward method. By expanding the column width in the desktop application, you ensure the actual date is visible and copied to the clipboard instead of the hash marks.
When Excel columns are too narrow to display a formatted date or number, the software visually represents this overflow with hash marks (#####). If you copy the cell in this state, Excel may transfer the visual display rather than the underlying data to the clipboard.
Launch your desktop version of Excel and open the spreadsheet containing the dates you want to copy.
Hover your mouse cursor over the boundary line between the column headers (e.g., between columns A and B) until it turns into a double-sided arrow. Double-click to automatically widen the column so all dates are fully visible.
Highlight the date cells, press Ctrl+C to copy, navigate to your Excel Online spreadsheet, and press Ctrl+V to paste. The dates should now appear correctly.
Use Paste Values in Excel Online
If you cannot or do not want to alter the column widths in the original desktop file, you can bypass the formatting glitch by pasting only the raw data values.
Change the Source Data to a Standard Format
Converting the dates to a different standard format or general text before copying can prevent the clipboard from misinterpreting the narrow column display.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Excel show hash marks (#####) instead of my dates?
Excel automatically displays hash marks (#####) when a column's width is too narrow to show the full formatted date or number. This is purely a visual mechanism to prevent you from reading partial numbers inaccurately; the correct underlying data remains intact.
How can I quickly autofit all column widths in a spreadsheet?
Click the 'Select All' triangle in the top-left corner of the spreadsheet (where the row and column headers intersect). Then, double-click on any boundary line between two column letters. This will instantly autofit every column in the sheet to its contents.
Will pasting as plain text fix the date formatting issue?
No. If you copy a cell that is displaying ##### because the column is narrow, copying and pasting as plain text will literally paste the ##### characters. You must either widen the source column first or use the 'Paste Values' option to extract the true underlying data.
