# DATEVALUE

datetime · from excel · excel: not yet compared · sheets: not yet compared

converts date text to serial number

## signature

```
DATEVALUE(date_text)
```

returns: `number (date serial)`

## arguments

- date_text: text: required

## examples

formula and result, asserted in the engine test suite.

| formula | result | with |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `=DATEVALUE("2026-07-27")` | `46230` | none |

## errors

error values observed from the engine: each with a call that produces it.

| error | produced by |
| --- | --- |
| `#VALUE!` | `=DATEVALUE("alpha")` |

## related

- [DATE](https://deepcalc.com/docs/functions/date.md): creates date from year, month, day
- [DATEDIF](https://deepcalc.com/docs/functions/datedif.md): calculates difference between two dates
- [DAY](https://deepcalc.com/docs/functions/day.md): returns day of month from date
- [DAYS](https://deepcalc.com/docs/functions/days.md): returns number of days between two dates
- [DAYS360](https://deepcalc.com/docs/functions/days360.md): returns days between dates on 360-day year
- [EDATE](https://deepcalc.com/docs/functions/edate.md): returns date shifted by given months
- [EOMONTH](https://deepcalc.com/docs/functions/eomonth.md): returns last day of month after offset
- [EPOCHTODATE](https://deepcalc.com/docs/functions/epochtodate.md): converts a unix timestamp to a date serial

## navigate

- [all datetime functions](https://deepcalc.com/docs/functions/datetime-functions.md)
- [function index](https://deepcalc.com/docs/functions.md): all 602 functions
- [error values](https://deepcalc.com/docs/errors.md) · [concepts](https://deepcalc.com/docs/concepts.md) · [limits](https://deepcalc.com/docs/limits.md)
- [everything in one file](https://deepcalc.com/llms-full.txt)

source: https://deepcalc.com/docs/functions/datevalue