Fix Excel for the Web Regional Format Reverting from UK to US
Question details
The user needs to prevent Excel for the web from automatically changing its regional format settings from English (United Kingdom) back to English (United States).
- Product
- Excel for the web
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Managing dates, formulas, and conditional formatting in a shared workbook hosted online that requires UK formatting standards.
- Observed behavior
- The regional format automatically reverts to English (US) upon reopening the workbook, causing date formulas and conditional formatting to display incorrectly.
Ensure you have the appropriate edit permissions for the workbook, and check if you have site owner permissions for the SharePoint site or OneDrive account hosting the file.
Update Regional Format Settings in Excel for the Web
Directly adjusting the regional format inside the web workbook is the quickest way to resolve formatting inconsistencies for your current session.
You can manually override the default language format from within the Excel web interface. This tells the application to read formulas and dates according to UK standards.
Open your workbook in Excel for the web. Click on 'File' in the top ribbon, then select 'Options'.
Click on 'Regional Format Settings' from the Options menu.
From the dropdown list, choose 'English (United Kingdom)' and confirm your selection.
Close the browser tab and reopen the workbook from OneDrive or SharePoint to verify the setting has been saved.
Change SharePoint Site Regional Settings
If the workbook settings continuously revert, the host SharePoint site's default locale is likely overriding your preferences.
Switch to WPS Office to Avoid Web Server Glitches
Web-based spreadsheets can sometimes be frustrating due to server-side setting overrides. WPS Office provides a robust desktop alternative that gives you full local control over regional formats, dates, and currencies, without relying on SharePoint or OneDrive site settings. Enjoy seamless Microsoft Excel format compatibility for free.
- 1. Download and Install: Download WPS Office for free from the official website and install it on your device.
- 2. Open Your Spreadsheet: Launch WPS Spreadsheets and open your .xlsx file directly from your local drive or cloud folder.
- 3. Set Local Formats: Go to Options to set your preferred local date and currency formats permanently without external overrides.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do my dates in Excel for the web switch to US format?
Excel for the web inherits its default regional settings from the SharePoint site or OneDrive account where the file is hosted. If the host server is set to the US locale, your dates will default to the MM/DD/YYYY format.
Will changing the SharePoint regional settings affect other users?
Yes. Modifying the regional settings at the SharePoint site level will change the default date, time, and number formats for all users accessing files on that specific site.
How do I force a specific date format without changing regional settings?
You can select the cells containing dates, right-click, choose 'Number Format', and apply a Custom format such as 'dd/mm/yyyy'. However, this only changes the display of those specific cells, not the workbook's overall locale behavior for formulas.
