Laravel excel maatwebsite 3.1 import, date column in excel cell returns as unknown format number. How to solve this?
Stefan Izdrail
Founder & Senior Architect · 2026-06-29
Title: Addressing Unknown Number Format Issue with Date Columns in Laravel Excel Maatwebsite v3.1 Import
Body: By using Maatwebsite/Laravel-Excel version 3.1 to import excel sheets, there may arise issues where date time columns return as unknown numbers instead of the actual dates. In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore a practical solution and best practices for handling these unexpected number formats while working with Laravel Excel Maatwebsite v3.1 imports.
To begin addressing this issue, let us consider an example where Cell value "29/07/1989" returns as "32178" when importing:
1. Understanding the problem: The Laravel-Excel library has been designed to read and interpret dates based on the default locale settings of your server environment. However, due to regional differences in date formats, these standard locale settings might not accurately recognize or parse the dates present in the excel sheet. In such cases, the resultant value is interpreted as a number, usually an epoch time (the total seconds since the Unix Epoch) which does not represent the intended date format.
2. Formatting cells with specific date formats: A fundamental solution to this problem would be to ensure that all date cells in the excel sheet adhere to a consistent, universally recognized format such as "YYYY-MM-DD" or "dd/mm/yyyy". By doing so, Laravel Excel Maatwebsite 3.1 should automatically recognize and handle the dates correctly during import.
3. Using a custom parser: If you are unable to modify the excel sheet due to limitations or external requirements, you may utilize a custom date parser in your code. In this case, you can define a custom callback function that will format each column of data according to the desired format before importing.
Here is an example of such a function:
```php
// Custom Date Parser Function for Laravel Excel Maatwebsite 3.1 Imports
public static function formatDate($value, $row) {
try {
// Check if the cell value is a recognized date format (e.g., "dd/mm/yyyy")
$datetime = DateTime::createFromFormat('Y-m-d', $value);
// If it's successful, convert it to the expected format (e.g., "29/07/1989" in this example)
$formatted_date = date('d/m/Y', strtotime($datetime->format('Y-m-d')));
// If the initial cell value could not be converted, return the original value
if ($formatted_date === $value) {
return $value;
} else {
return $formatted_date;
}
} catch (Exception $e) {
// In case of any error during date parsing or conversion, return the original value
return $value;
}
}
```
4. Handling inconsistent data types: Sometimes, you may encounter unexpected number formats instead of actual dates in the excel sheet. To handle such cases, you can incorporate a simple if-else block that checks whether the cell contains a date or not before proceeding with your preferred import logic:
```php
// Check if each cell value is a recognized date format
if (DateTime::createFromFormat('Y-m-d', $value)) {
// Proceed with your import logic, possibly using a custom parser function
} else {
// Handle inconsistencies or unknown number formats as per your requirements
}
```
5. Testing and validation: After implementing these solutions, it is essential to test the overall functionality thoroughly by inputting multiple excel files with varying date formats and ensuring that all date columns are correctly imported. As a best practice, you can also validate the imported data and perform necessary error handling in case of any unexpected results.
Conclusion: The Laravel Excel Maatwebsite 3.1 package offers powerful import and export capabilities for Excel files. While it may encounter issues with unknown number formats when dealing with date values, through a combination of appropriate formatting or custom parsing functions, these challenges can be effectively addressed in your applications. By following the best practices outlined above, you can ensure the successful processing and handling of all types of data contained within your excel files.