How to Fix SharePoint JSON Date Formatting Showing the Wrong Day
Question details
Users need to correct a SharePoint display issue where custom JSON column formatting causes dates to show up one day earlier for users in different geographical locations.
- Product
- SharePoint Online
- Device & OS
- Windows
- Scenario
- Using custom JSON formatting, specifically the getDate function, in a SharePoint list or library column to display dates.
- Observed behavior
- Dates display one day earlier for users depending on their local Windows time zone, bypassing or ignoring the SharePoint site's established regional settings.
Ensure you have Site Administrator permissions to access and modify SharePoint regional settings, and check your local Windows time zone configuration.
Verify Site Regional Settings and Windows Time Zones
Use this method to align your local machine's time zone with the SharePoint site's regional settings, isolating whether the issue is user-specific.
SharePoint JSON formatting executes on the client side. Functions like getDate automatically pull the date and time from the user's local Windows OS settings rather than the SharePoint server's regional settings. If a user's Windows time zone differs significantly from the site settings, the date may visually shift to the previous day.
Right-click the clock on your Windows taskbar, select 'Adjust date/time', and confirm your current time zone setting.
Log into the affected SharePoint account on a computer used by an unaffected user (with an aligned time zone) to confirm the issue is localized to the device's OS settings.
Navigate to your SharePoint site, click the gear icon for 'Site settings', and select 'Regional settings' under Site Administration. Confirm the 'Time Zone' matches the expected standard (e.g., UTC+1).
Use Calculated Columns Instead of JSON
Bypass client-side JSON rendering entirely by using standard SharePoint calculated columns to format dates on the server side.
Manage and Format Exported Data with WPS Office
If SharePoint's online JSON date formatting is causing headaches, exporting your lists to edit locally is a reliable workaround. WPS Office provides a free, lightweight, and highly compatible suite for editing your spreadsheets and documents offline, free from complex server time zone conflicts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the getDate function in SharePoint JSON show the wrong date?
The getDate function in SharePoint JSON formatting operates on the client side. It retrieves the date based on the user's local Windows machine time zone rather than the SharePoint site's configured regional settings, which can cause a one-day shift if the time zones differ significantly.
How do I change the regional settings for a SharePoint site?
Click the gear icon to access Site Settings, then select 'Regional Settings' under the Site Administration section. From there, you can update the Time Zone drop-down to match your organization's required standard.
Can I force SharePoint JSON to ignore the local Windows time zone?
Because JSON formatting runs in the browser, it natively interacts with local OS settings. To force strict server-side time zone alignment, it is generally recommended to use SharePoint Calculated Columns rather than JSON, as calculated columns process data on the server side.
