How to Create a Date Picker in Google Sheets

Google Sheets is a versatile tool that supports various data types. One such data type is dates, which you can type in manually, or, better, using a date picker. A date picker, also known as a date selector or calendar dropdown, helps inputting dates correctly and consistently.

 

Here’s how you can create a date picker in Google Sheets:

Step 1: Select the Cell(s)

Click on the cell or select the range of cells where you want to enable the date picker.

Step 2: Navigate to Data Validation

To open Data Validation section either:

• go to the Data menu, and then click on Data validation, or

  

• right click on the selected cell(s), hover over View more cell actions, and select Data validation.

  

Step 3: Create Data Validation Rule

Click on + Add Rule then in the Criteria dropdown select Is a valid date. If the cell should have constrains on the date, you can select any other option: Date is before, Date is between, etc.

Step 4: Customize Validation Behavior (Optional)

Click on Advanced options to set help text displayed to the user if the data is invalid and how should the validation look like: show a warning or reject the input altogether.

At the moment of writing, Google Sheets displays that help message only why validation is in the rejection mode.

Step 5: Save

Click on Save to apply the data validation to the selected cells. Now, whenever you or someone double clicks on the cell(s), a date picker will appear to help select a date.

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The date picker in Google Sheets is a straightforward yet powerful tool to standardize date input, ensuring data consistency across your sheets. By following the above steps, you can easily implement a date picker in your Google Sheets, enhancing the usability and accuracy of date-related data entries.