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How to Add a Local Date and Time Stamp to Excel via Power Automate

Phi Hung Vo Oct 16, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to generate a local date and time stamp in Power Automate and write it correctly to an Excel file.

How to Add a Local Date and Time Stamp to Excel in Power Automate

Product: Power Automate / Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Automating data entry into Excel where a precise current local timestamp is required for record-keeping.
Observed behavior: Using the default utcNow() function outputs a UTC timestamp in ISO 8601 format, which produces unexpected values or formatting errors when written to Excel date fields.

Before you start

Ensure your destination Excel table has a dedicated column for the timestamp, and verify that the column's number format is set to 'Date' or 'Custom Date/Time' before running your flow.

Solution 1Recommended

Convert Time Zone and Format the Timestamp

Use Power Automate's expression builder to convert the default UTC time to your local time zone and format it into an Excel-friendly structure.

By default, Power Automate generates all timestamps in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) using the ISO 8601 standard. By nesting the convertTimeZone() and formatDateTime() functions, you can shift the time to your specific location and output a clean timestamp.

Open flow action

Open your Power Automate flow and click on the 'Add a row into a table' (or similar Excel) action where the data is being recorded.

Access expression builder

Click into the input box for your target date column. The Dynamic content pane will appear on the side; click on the 'Expression' tab.

Enter the formula

Type the formula: formatDateTime(convertTimeZone(utcNow(), 'UTC', 'Eastern Standard Time'), 'MM/dd/yyyy hh:mm tt'). Replace 'Eastern Standard Time' with your actual local time zone name.

Save and test

Click 'OK' to save the expression into the field. Save your flow and run a test to verify the timestamp appears correctly formatted in your Excel workbook.

Convert Time Zone and Format the Timestamp

Time Zone Names: Power Automate relies on standard Windows time zone names (e.g., 'Pacific Standard Time', 'Central Standard Time'). Ensure you type the name exactly as Microsoft defines it.

Solution 2

Format UTC Time (No Time Zone Conversion)

If you do not need to convert the time zone and simply want to fix the formatting error in Excel, use a basic formatDateTime expression.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my Power Automate date look like a random number in Excel?

Excel stores dates as sequential serial numbers. If Power Automate sends a formatted date string but the receiving Excel column is set to 'General' or 'Number', Excel displays that raw serial value. To fix this, highlight the column in Excel and change the cell format to 'Short Date' or 'Time'.

Where can I find the correct time zone names for the convertTimeZone function?

Power Automate requires standard Microsoft Windows time zone names, such as 'Pacific Standard Time' or 'GMT Standard Time'. You can find the exact string values required by referencing the official Microsoft 'Default Time Zones' documentation online.

Can I use a 24-hour clock format instead of AM/PM in my flow?

Yes. In your formatDateTime expression, use an uppercase 'HH' for the hours and remove the 'tt' at the end. For example, use formatDateTime(utcNow(), 'MM/dd/yyyy HH:mm') to output a 24-hour format.

How do I add just the current local date without the time?

Modify the format string in your expression to omit the time variables. Use formatDateTime(convertTimeZone(utcNow(), 'UTC', 'Eastern Standard Time'), 'MM/dd/yyyy') to output only the month, day, and year.

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