Convert Date Time format in excel to text string

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Posted on by PeggyLang

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Hello All,

I have a power automate that takes an excel attachment from email and files on Sharepoint - works fantastically. From there I need to employ Smartsheet Data Shuttle to bring in new items to my Smartsheet worksheet - works fantastically EXCEPT that I am using a Date Time column in excel as my unique identifier. Smartsheet is ONLY recognizing the Date. So this morning when all my automations ran I had only 2 new items in my worksheet whereas the excel document actually contained 28 new items.

Can I add to my power automate such that the format of the cell containing Date Time be changed to text string
OR
Can I add to my power automate instruction to create a new column and write the Date Time on row as a text string in that new column?

Thank you for any /all help. MUCH APPRECIATED.

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Michael E. Gernaey 53,335 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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Hi @PeggyLang

I wish I could see the documents just to have my head clear for answering.

Firstly, yes you can use Power Automate to be either changed to Text() in real-time as you pull in your data or you could add a column and have power automate make it just text.

I am not sure which one is best without really seeing the end to end process.

Here is a problem I see though... If it takes DateTime to be unique, how is having SmartSheets only recognize Date (even as a string) going to insure uniqueness?

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PeggyLang 381 on at

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If I can convert the above which is a column in the excel to a text string then all but two of the rows would be my unique identifier. The two that wouldn't are too close in time to matter.

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