Fix Power Automate Time Zone Conversion Wrong in SharePoint
Question details
Users experience a time discrepancy where Power Automate correctly converts the time zone during execution, but SharePoint displays an earlier or incorrect time.
- Product
- Power Automate / SharePoint
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Syncing date and time data from Power Automate flows into SharePoint lists or libraries.
- Observed behavior
- Test results in Power Automate show the correct converted time, but SharePoint displays an incorrect, often earlier, time in its column view.
Ensure you have Site Owner or Admin permissions to access and modify SharePoint site regional settings and list column configurations.
Verify SharePoint Regional and Column Settings
Incorrect regional settings at the site level are the most common cause of time displaying incorrectly despite accurate Power Automate inputs.
SharePoint internally stores time values in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and relies on the Site Regional Settings to calculate the correct local time offset to display to users. If these settings are misconfigured, accurate data from Power Automate will display shifted.
Navigate to your SharePoint site, click the gear icon in the top right corner, and select 'Site information' followed by 'View all site settings'.
Under 'Site Administration', click on 'Regional settings'. Ensure the 'Time zone' drop-down matches your desired local time and save.
Go to the target SharePoint list, click the gear icon, open 'List settings', and verify that your Date and Time column is set appropriately to display 'Date & Time' instead of 'Date Only'.
Implement the 'Convert time zone' Action in Power Automate
Force a manual time conversion in your flow to ensure SharePoint receives the exact expected UTC format.
Consult the Power Automate Community
Complex flow configurations or personal tenant profile mismatches may benefit from community expertise.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does SharePoint display dates differently than my Power Automate test results?
Power Automate shows raw data executions based on the flow's server time or converted timezone action. SharePoint, however, converts stored UTC dates into local time dynamically based on the site's Regional Settings and your personal Microsoft 365 profile regional settings.
Should I send UTC or local time from Power Automate to SharePoint?
It is best practice to format and send the date and time strings in UTC from Power Automate. SharePoint natively expects UTC API inputs and will automatically handle the display conversion to local time on the user's front end.
Can my personal account profile cause the wrong time to display?
Yes. If your personal Microsoft 365 account profile's time zone settings differ from the SharePoint site's regional settings, you may see different times displayed compared to other users viewing the exact same list.
