In the US the date format is typically MM/DD/YYYY whereas many other parts of the world use DD/MM/YYYY format.
The problem
When NetSuite outputs dates in DD/MM/YYYY, two common issues can occur in Excel:
Excel treats the value as text
If the day portion is greater than 12 (for example, 25/01/2026), Excel often cannot interpret it as a date and stores it as plain text.Excel swaps day and month (incorrect date)
When the day is 12 or less, Excel may still interpret it incorrectly.
Example: NetSuite sends 06/04/2026 (6 April), but Excel reads it as June 4.
The solution
To avoid regional interpretation issues, output your dates from NetSuite as a standard, unambiguous format using a Saved Search formula text field.
Use a Formula (Text) column
Add a Saved Search column:
Field: Formula (Text)
Formula:
TO_CHAR({<field_id>},'YYYY/MM/DD')
Example: Transaction Date
If you want to export the transaction date:
TO_CHAR({trandate},'YYYY/MM/DD')
This forces NetSuite to return the date as YYYY/MM/DD, which Excel can reliably interpret.
Recommended usage
Use the formula(text) date column in your Saved Search instead of the native date field.
If you download records into a template using that Saved Search, Excel will consistently parse dates correctly across regions.
Need help?
For assistance with Saved Searches or troubleshooting exports:
Use the in-app chat