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Shelbyj's avatar
Shelbyj
Copper Contributor
Apr 29, 2026

Importing CSV file properly

Hey, I'm having issues importing a CSV file properly. There are three columns of data, two columns as dates and one as a measurement. I have done all the steps to import the CSV data. I've saved the data as a CSV file, then gone to Data > From Text/CSV > Chosen the CSV file > Put the delimiter as "comma" as the data is separated by commas, and it all still appears in one column. So then, I tried a different way. I tried Highlighting the data > Text to columns > Put the delimiter as "comma." Now, this worked to put the data in to columns, but then I needed to change the date format. The data originally displays the dates as YYYYMMDD, with no forward slashes or points between the dates. I tried to change the date via the "Number" function in the "Home" tab, but it won't change the dates and they all appear as hashtags. I tried to get help from a Uni adviser, but they were unable to give me a solution. I'm really stuck now as I have looked on forums, microsoft pages, YT videos, everything. I have the most recent version of Excel, have checked my settings, everything. I would really appreciate any help. 

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1 Reply

  • Olufemi7's avatar
    Olufemi7
    Iron Contributor
    Apr 30, 2026

    HelloShelbyj​,

    Issue is likely due to delimiter settings and Excel not recognizing the date format.

    CSV not splitting:
    Check Data > From Text/CSV and confirm delimiter is set to comma
    Verify the file actually uses commas (not semicolons)
    Check system list separator if needed

    Dates (YYYYMMDD not converting):
    Excel does not auto-detect this format
    Use formula:
    =DATE(LEFT(A1,4),MID(A1,5,2),RIGHT(A1,2))
    Then format as Date

    Or use Text to Columns:
    Data > Text to Columns > Delimited > Next > Next
    Select Date = YMD
    Finish