How to Change the Date Format in Excel (Custom Format Code)
Ever opened a spreadsheet and realized every date in your Order Date column looks wrong, inconsistent, or just not the way you need it for a report? This Excel tutorial walks you through reformatting an entire date column at once using the Custom category inside Format Cells. No formulas, no rewriting entries by hand. By the end, you will be able to apply a clean day-month-year format across every cell in a column with a single change.
Covered inside:
→ Selecting the full Order Date column by clicking the column header C
→ Opening the Format Cells dialog with the Control plus 1 shortcut
→ Navigating to the Number tab and scrolling to the Custom category
→ Clearing the Type box and entering a fresh day-month-year code
→ Watching the Sample preview update live to confirm the format
→ Applying the custom format so dates appear like 15-Jan-2024
Did you stick with the day-month-year layout shown in the video, or do you prefer a different token combo for your own sheets? Drop your go-to custom date code in the comments.
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