How to Fix Incorrect Date and Time in Power Automate CSV Exports
Question details
The user needs to resolve an issue where dates exported from SharePoint to CSV via Power Automate display in UTC (ISO 8601) rather than the local time zone.
- Product
- Power Automate
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Exporting a SharePoint list containing date and time columns to a CSV file using a Power Automate flow.
- Observed behavior
- The dates in the resulting CSV appear in UTC format (e.g., 2022-11-08T23:00:00Z) and shift incorrectly based on daylight saving time differences, instead of matching the local time displayed in SharePoint.
Verify your exact local time zone abbreviation or UTC offset and ensure you have edit access to the Power Automate flow generating the CSV file.
Convert Time Zone Before Creating the CSV in Power Automate
The most robust way to fix this is by converting the UTC timestamp to your local time zone directly within your Power Automate flow before the data is written to the CSV file.
SharePoint stores all date and time values internally as Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). When Power Automate pulls this data, it retrieves the raw UTC format (ISO 8601). To match what you see on the SharePoint front-end, you must explicitly convert the time zone in your flow.
Open your Power Automate flow and locate the step where you retrieve the SharePoint data, usually named 'Get items'.
Click 'Add an action' immediately before the 'Create CSV table' step and search for the 'Convert time zone' operation.
Set the 'Base time' to your SharePoint date dynamic content. Select 'Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)' as the Source time zone, and select your actual local time zone as the Destination time zone. Choose a clean 'Format string' like 'yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm'.
Update the 'Create CSV table' step to use 'Custom' columns, and insert the newly converted time dynamic output instead of the original raw SharePoint date.
Use the ConvertTimeZone Expression Inline
If you prefer avoiding an extra action block in your flow, you can format the date inline using an expression inside the 'Select' or 'Create CSV table' action.
Fix CSV UTC Dates Instantly in WPS Spreadsheet
If you already have a downloaded CSV file with raw ISO 8601 UTC dates (like 2022-11-08T23:00:00Z), you can quickly clean and convert them to your local time zone using WPS Spreadsheet without needing to rerun the Power Automate flow.
- 1. Open the CSV in WPS: Launch WPS Spreadsheet and open your exported CSV file containing the raw UTC date strings.
- 2. Clean the Date String: Select the date column. Use the 'Find and Replace' tool (Ctrl+H) to replace the 'T' with a space, and then replace the 'Z' with nothing. This turns the text string into a recognizable date format.
- 3. Convert to Local Time via Formula: In an adjacent blank column, use a formula to add or subtract your time zone offset. For example, to subtract 5 hours for EST, type the formula =A2-(5/24) and press Enter.
- 4. Format the Display: Select the new calculated column, right-click and choose 'Format Cells'. Navigate to the 'Date' or 'Time' tab and select your preferred local date display format.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does SharePoint show the correct time, but Power Automate exports it differently?
SharePoint displays dates in your local time zone via the browser based on your site's regional settings, but it securely stores the raw data in the backend as UTC. Power Automate extracts this raw backend UTC data when generating exports.
What is the ISO 8601 format?
ISO 8601 is an internationally recognized standard format for representing dates and times. In exported CSVs, it usually looks like '2022-11-08T23:00:00Z', where 'T' separates the date and time, and 'Z' denotes 'Zulu' time (which means UTC).
Can I open and edit these CSV files directly in WPS Office?
Yes, WPS Spreadsheet natively supports opening, editing, and saving CSV (Comma Separated Values) files, ensuring your raw data is formatted clearly without altering the underlying text structure.
Does Power Automate automatically adjust for Daylight Saving Time (DST)?
Power Automate only adjusts for Daylight Saving Time if you explicitly use the 'Convert time zone' action or the convertTimeZone() expression. If you simply manually add or subtract hours using the addHours() function, it will not dynamically adjust when DST changes occur.
