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Fix Power Automate Dates Reversed When Added to Excel
Question details
The user needs to prevent Excel from reversing the day and month of dates exported from Power Automate.
- Product
- Microsoft Excel
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Importing or adding data from a Power Automate flow into an Excel spreadsheet.
- Observed behavior
- Dates sent in dd/MM/yyyy format (e.g., 03/06/2024 for June 3rd) are incorrectly interpreted and displayed by Excel as MM/dd/yyyy (March 6th), despite the column being pre-formatted.
Verify your operating system's regional date settings, as Excel's default date recognition relies heavily on your computer's system configuration.
Use an Unambiguous Date Format in Power Automate
Change the date expression in your Power Automate flow to the standard ISO format (yyyy-MM-dd) so Excel cannot misinterpret the day and month.
By formatting the output as yyyy-MM-dd before it reaches Excel, you remove any ambiguity between the day and month values, completely bypassing regional setting conflicts.
Navigate to the Microsoft Power Automate portal, open your specific flow, and locate the action step where the date is generated or passed to Excel.
Modify the dynamic content expression to use the unambiguous format. For example, use: formatDateTime(convertFromUtc(utcNow(),'GMT Standard Time'),'yyyy-MM-dd').
Save your flow and run a test to verify that the newly added rows in Excel now display the year, month, and day correctly.
Remove OS-Dependent Date Formatting in Excel
Avoid using Excel date formats marked with an asterisk (*), as these formats dynamically change based on the operating system's regional settings.
View and Edit Your Exported Data Flawlessly with WPS Office
If you frequently work with automated data exports and run into regional formatting conflicts, WPS Office provides a lightweight, highly compatible, and free alternative to Microsoft Excel. Enjoy strict date formatting controls without unexpected regional setting overrides.
- 1. Download and Install: Get the free WPS Office suite from the official website and follow the simple installation prompts.
- 2. Open Your Spreadsheet: Launch WPS Spreadsheets and open the .xlsx file generated by your Power Automate flow.
- 3. Format Data Easily: Use the familiar right-click "Format Cells" menu to apply strict date formats seamlessly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Excel change my dates from dd/MM/yyyy to MM/dd/yyyy?
Excel interprets incoming text or unformatted data based on your computer's regional settings. If your Windows or Mac system is set to a US date format (MM/dd/yyyy), Excel will automatically attempt to read incoming dates using that logic, causing ambiguous days and months to flip.
What does the asterisk (*) mean in Excel date formats?
Date and time formats marked with an asterisk (*) in Excel's Format Cells dialog are responsive to the operating system's regional settings. If you share the file with someone in a different region, the display format will change for them. Formats without an asterisk remain fixed.
Can I fix the reversed dates after they are already imported into Excel?
Yes. You can use the "Text to Columns" feature under the Data tab. Select your date column, proceed to Step 3 of the wizard, choose "Date", and specify the original source format (e.g., DMY) from the dropdown to force Excel to parse the values correctly.
Where can I get more help with advanced Power Automate date expressions?
Since Power Automate is a dedicated Microsoft service, the best place for flow-specific troubleshooting, advanced expressions, and checking activity logs is the official Microsoft Power Automate Community forums.
