When you import a CSV file into Notion, date columns often fail to populate correctly or appear as plain text. This happens because Notion expects date values in a specific string layout that matches its internal date property format. A date property in Notion can store a single date, a date range, or a date with a time component, and the CSV must reflect that structure exactly. This article explains the exact date and datetime formats Notion accepts during CSV import, how to structure your CSV file to avoid import errors, and what to do when dates still do not appear as expected.
Key Takeaways: Notion CSV Date Import Requirements
- ISO 8601 date format YYYY-MM-DD: Required for single-date properties without a time component.
- ISO 8601 datetime format YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss: Required when the date property includes a time value. Use a capital T as the separator between date and time.
- Date range format: YYYY-MM-DD→YYYY-MM-DD: Two dates separated by an arrow (→) to create a date range property. No spaces around the arrow.
- No leading or trailing spaces: Extra spaces before or after the date value cause Notion to treat the column as plain text instead of a date.
Why Notion Requires a Strict Date Format in CSV Imports
Notion uses the ISO 8601 standard as its internal date representation. When you import a CSV file, Notion parses each column and attempts to match the data type you selected during the import mapping step. If the date value in the CSV does not exactly match the expected ISO 8601 layout, Notion falls back to treating that column as plain text. This means the date property remains empty or shows the raw string value. The same strictness applies to time values: if you include a time component but use a space instead of the letter T as the separator, Notion will not recognize the field as a datetime.
Additionally, Notion distinguishes between a date-only property and a date property that includes a time. If your CSV contains a time portion, Notion automatically enables the “Include time” toggle for that property during import. If your CSV contains only a date, Notion keeps the time toggle off. You cannot mix date-only and datetime values in the same column and expect consistent behavior. Every row in that column must use the same format.
Date-Only Format: YYYY-MM-DD
For a date property that does not need a time component, use the format YYYY-MM-DD. Year must be four digits, month two digits, day two digits. Examples: 2025-04-09, 2024-12-01. Do not use slashes (04/09/2025), dots (2025.04.09), or abbreviated month names (Apr 09 2025). Notion will not parse those as dates.
Datetime Format: YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss
When the date property must include a time, use the format YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss. The letter T is mandatory and must be uppercase. Hours use a 24-hour clock (00 to 23). Minutes and seconds use two digits each. Examples: 2025-04-09T14:30:00, 2024-12-25T09:05:00. Notion does not support time zone offsets in the CSV import. All times are interpreted as the local time zone of the workspace owner. If you need a specific time zone, adjust the time value before importing.
Date Range Format: YYYY-MM-DD→YYYY-MM-DD
Notion allows a date property to represent a range, such as a start date and an end date. In the CSV, combine the two dates with the Unicode arrow character → (U+2192). Do not use a hyphen, dash, or the word “to”. Example: 2025-04-09→2025-04-12. If you also need a time range, use the datetime format on both sides: 2025-04-09T14:00:00→2025-04-09T16:30:00. The arrow must have no surrounding spaces.
Steps to Prepare a CSV File for Importing Date Properties
- Open your CSV file in a plain text editor or spreadsheet application
Use a tool like Notepad, Visual Studio Code, or Google Sheets. Avoid rich text editors that may add hidden formatting characters. - Locate all columns that should become date properties in Notion
Identify each column that contains a date, datetime, or date range. Rename the column header to something descriptive, such as “Due Date” or “Start Date”. Notion uses the header as the property name. - Reformat every date value to ISO 8601
For date-only cells, change to YYYY-MM-DD. For datetime cells, change to YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss. For date ranges, join two dates with →. Remove any leading or trailing spaces. - Verify that all values in one column use the same format
If one cell contains a date-only value and another contains a datetime value, Notion will treat the column as plain text. Make every cell in that column consistent. - Save the CSV file with UTF-8 encoding
In most spreadsheet applications, choose File > Save As and select CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited) or save as plain CSV with UTF-8 encoding. Notion expects UTF-8 to correctly interpret special characters like the arrow symbol. - Import the CSV into Notion
In Notion, go to the page where you want the database. Click the + icon, select Import, then choose CSV. Upload your file. During the import mapping step, confirm that the date column is mapped to a Date property type. Notion should automatically detect it if the format is correct.
What to Do When Notion Still Shows Dates as Plain Text After Import
Date column shows raw text like “2025-04-09” instead of a date picker
This usually means the column was mapped as Text during import. Delete the imported database and re-import the CSV. During the mapping step, manually change the column type from Text to Date. If the column type is grayed out and cannot be changed, the CSV likely contains inconsistent formats or extra characters. Open the CSV in a plain text editor and inspect each row for hidden spaces, quotation marks around date values, or mixed date formats.
Date range shows only the start date or shows an error
The arrow character → must be exactly U+2192. Some spreadsheet applications auto-correct the arrow to a hyphen or en dash when you save as CSV. Use a plain text editor to insert the arrow character. Alternatively, copy the arrow from a working Notion date range property and paste it into the CSV. Verify that there are no spaces before or after the arrow.
Datetime import drops the time portion
If Notion imports the date but omits the time, the column was likely mapped as Date-only instead of Date with time. Re-import the CSV and during mapping, confirm that the column type shows Date with time. If the column type shows only Date, open the CSV and ensure every value includes the T separator and a time component. A single row missing the time can cause Notion to downgrade the entire column to date-only.
Notion Date Property Format Options Compared
| Format Type | Example in CSV | Result in Notion |
|---|---|---|
| Date-only | 2025-04-09 | Single date with no time picker |
| Datetime | 2025-04-09T14:30:00 | Single date with time picker enabled |
| Date range (date-only) | 2025-04-09→2025-04-12 | Date range with start and end date |
| Date range (datetime) | 2025-04-09T14:00:00→2025-04-09T16:30:00 | Date range with start and end time |
After importing, you can adjust each date property in Notion by clicking on it and using the date picker. However, fixing formatting issues in the CSV before import saves time and prevents data loss. Use the ISO 8601 format consistently across all rows and columns. If you frequently import CSV files with dates, create a template CSV with correctly formatted date columns to reuse. This eliminates the need to reformat dates manually each time.