Date Format Converter
Convert dates between ISO, SQL, US, EU and more instantly.
1. Select Date
2. Copy Format
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The Tower of Babel: Making Sense of World Dates
Dates are the backbone of data, yet they are notoriously fragile. A simple discrepancy between America's `MM/DD/YYYY` and the rest of the world's `DD/MM/YYYY` has caused everything from missed meetings to billing catastrophes. Our Date Format Converter is the Rosetta Stone for time—translating any date string into the precise, standardized format your system needs.
Decoding The Standards
The Machine Standard (ISO 8601)
YYYY-MM-DD
The international gold standard. It sorts alphabetically, removes ambiguity (Year first), and is accepted by every modern API and Database.
Use for: APIs, Databases, Archiving
The Regional Confusion
MM/DD vs DD/MM
04/05/2024: Is it April 5th or May 4th? In the US, it is April. In the UK/India, it is May. This format is dangerous for international communication.
Use for: Local Display Only
Why Format Matters
Database Integrity
SQL databases strictly enforce formats. Trying to save "Jan 2nd, 2024" into a DATETIME column will fail. You must convert it to `2024-01-02 00:00:00` first.
File Sorting
Naming files `Report-Jan.pdf`, `Report-Feb.pdf` results in alphabetical chaos. Naming them `2024-01-Report`, `2024-02-Report` ensures chronological order forever.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ISO 8601 and why is it important?
ISO 8601 (YYYY-MM-DD) is the international standard for date and time representation. It is the only format that can be sorted correctly by computers purely as a string (lexicographically). It also removes ambiguity between international formats, as strictly Year-Month-Day avoids the confusion of whether 01/02/03 is Jan 2nd or Feb 1st.
How do I Convert MM/DD/YYYY to DD/MM/YYYY?
Our tool handles this automatically. Simply paste your US-format date (12/31/2023) into the input. The tool detects the format and provides the European/International equivalent (31/12/2023) in the output list instantly.
What format does SQL use?
Most SQL databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite) use the standard YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS format for DATETIME columns. If you try to insert 12/31/2023, the database will likely throw an error. Use this tool to generate the strict SQL-compatible string.
What is RFC 2822 / RFC 822?
This is the standard format used in Email headers and RSS feeds. It looks like Wed, 02 Oct 2002 13:00:00 GMT. It is designed to be human-readable while still being strictly structured for parsing by mail clients.
Does this tool handle Time Zones?
This tool focuses on formatting strings. If your input includes a timezone offset (like +05:30), it will be preserved in formats that support it (like ISO 8601). However, to convert values between time zones (e.g., London to New York), we recommend using our dedicated Time Zone Converter.
Can I convert text like 'Next Friday'?
Currently, our parser supports exact dates. Natural language processing (like parsing 'next friday' or '3 days ago') is a complex feature planned for future updates. For now, please enter specific dates like 2023-11-24.
How do I format dates for filenames?
For filenames, it is best to avoid slashes / or colons : as they are invalid characters in Windows/Linux paths. We recommend the 'Compact' format (YYYYMMDD or YYYYMMDD-HHMMss), which keeps files sorted chronologically and is safe for all operating systems.
What is the difference between 'y' and 'Y' in format patterns?
In many programming libraries (like Java's standard date formatter), y represents the Year of era (standard calendar year), while Y represents the Week Year. This subtle difference only matters near the end of December, where the 'Week Year' might technically belong to the next year (e.g., Dec 29, 2024 might be in Week 1 of 2025). For 99% of uses, stick to standard yyyy.
Why does Excel change my dates to numbers like 44927?
Excel stores dates essentially as a 'days counter' starting from January 1, 1900. The number 44927 represents 44,927 days since that epoch. To fix this, you need to format the cell in Excel as 'Date', or use our tool to convert a standard date string before pasting into Excel.
Can I batch convert a list of dates?
Currently, this tool processes one date at a time to show you 15+ variations of that single moment. For bulk processing (e.g. cleaning a CSV of 1000 rows), we recommend using a spreadsheet formula or a scripting language like Python.