DateTime.From Function in Power Query M (5 Easy Examples)

If you want to convert a value like text, a date, or a number into a proper datetime in Power Query, the DateTime.From function does exactly that. It takes a value and returns a datetime, with an optional culture setting to handle ambiguous text.

Table of Contents

Syntax of DateTime.From Function

DateTime.From(value as any, optional culture as nullable text) as nullable datetime

where:

value (required, any): The value you want to convert into a datetime. This can be text, a date, a datetimezone, or a number.
culture (optional, nullable text): A culture code such as "de-DE" that tells Power Query how to read an ambiguous text value. It only applies when value is text.

Returns: A datetime value built from the supplied value. If value is null, the function returns null.

Put simply, DateTime.From reads whatever you hand it and gives you back a single date-and-time value.

Example 1: Convert a Text Timestamp Into a Datetime

Say you have a one-cell table named TextTimestamp with a column Raw. The cell holds the text 2024-03-15 14:30:00, which looks like a timestamp but is really just a string.

This query reads that cell and converts it with DateTime.From.

let
    Source = Excel.CurrentWorkbook(){[Name="TextTimestamp"]}[Content],
    Raw = Source{0}[Raw],
    Converted = DateTime.From(Raw),
    Result = DateTime.ToText(Converted,"yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss")
in
    Result

Result: 2024-03-15 14:30:00

DateTime.From returns a real datetime value here. The DateTime.ToText step is only there so the result shows as readable text on the page, much like Date.ToText does for a date. A raw datetime would otherwise display as a serial number.

Example 2: Convert a Date Into a Datetime

You can also feed in a date value. Here the input is #date(2024,3,15), which carries no time part.

let
    Source = DateTime.From(#date(2024,3,15)),
    Result = DateTime.ToText(Source,"yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss")
in
    Result

Result: 2024-03-15 00:00:00

When the input is a plain date, the time component defaults to midnight, 00:00:00. The Result is the datetime, shown as text through DateTime.ToText.

Example 3: Convert an Excel Serial Number Into a Datetime

You can convert a number too. Power Query reads it as an OLE Automation date serial, where the whole part is the day count and the fraction is the time of day.

The input 45366.5 has a .5 fraction, which is half a day, so it lands on noon.

let
    Source = DateTime.From(45366.5),
    Result = DateTime.ToText(Source,"yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss")
in
    Result

Result: 2024-03-15 12:00:00

The 45366 part gives the date and the .5 adds twelve hours, so the time reads 12:00:00. The Result is the datetime, shown as text.

Example 4: Parse a Text Value With a Specific Culture

Some text values are ambiguous. The string 15.03.2024 14:30:00 uses a dd.MM.yyyy layout, which Power Query will not read correctly under the default culture.

Passing "de-DE" as the culture argument tells it to read the day first.

let
    Source = DateTime.From("15.03.2024 14:30:00","de-DE"),
    Result = DateTime.ToText(Source,"yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss")
in
    Result

Result: 2024-03-15 14:30:00

The culture argument is what makes this work. Without it, 15.03.2024 could fail or be misread, since 15 cannot be a month. The Result is the datetime, shown as text.

Example 5: Handle a Null Input

When the input is null, DateTime.From returns null rather than throwing an error. This query checks that behavior with an equality test.

let
    Source = DateTime.From(null),
    Result = Source = null
in
    Result

Result: true

DateTime.From(null) returns null, so the comparison Source = null evaluates to true. This makes the function safe to run against columns that may contain blanks. If you later need that value as a string, Number.ToText and DateTime.ToText give you formatting control over the output.

Things to keep in mind with DateTime.From

The function returns a datetime, which holds both a date and a time. It is not the same as date (date only) or datetimezone (date, time, plus an offset).
When you pass a date value, the time part is set to 00:00:00.
A number input is read as an OLE Automation date serial. The integer part is the day count and the decimal fraction is the fraction of a day.
The culture argument only matters for ambiguous text. It is ignored when the value is a date, number, or other non-text type.
An unparseable string throws an error. For example, DateTime.From("not a date") raises Expression.Error: We couldn't parse the input provided as a DateTime value.
A null input returns null, so the function will not break on blank cells.

Common questions about DateTime.From

How do I keep the result as a real datetime instead of text?

Drop the DateTime.ToText step. The examples wrap the output in DateTime.ToText only so the value displays cleanly here. If you want a working datetime, return Converted directly, or use Table.TransformColumnTypes to set the column type to datetime in your applied steps.

What is the difference between DateTime.From and DateTime.FromText?

DateTime.FromText only accepts text and parses it as a datetime. DateTime.From is broader. It also converts dates, numbers, and datetimezone values, so it is the more flexible choice when your input type can vary.

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