Date & Number Formatting

Raw data from forms is often unformatted. Learn how to automatically style dates, times, and currencies to match your professional standards.

1. Date Formatting

Google Forms saves dates as YYYY-MM-DD. To change this to a readable format (like August 5, 2024), use the source Sheet.

The Google Sheets Method (Recommended)

Smart Form Publisher reads the visual value from your Google Sheet. If you change how it looks in the Sheet, it updates in the PDF.

Open the responses Google Sheet.
Select the entire column containing the date (e.g., Column C).
Go to Format > Number > Custom Date and Time.
Choose your preferred style (e.g., Aug 5, 1930 or 05/08/1930).
The add-on will now use this exact format in your generated document.

2. Time & Duration

By default, Google Forms collects time in 24-hour format (e.g., 14:30:00).

12-Hour Format (AM/PM)

To display 2:30 PM instead of 14:30:

Select the Time column in Sheets.
Format > Number > Time.
Select the option ending in AM/PM.

Durations

If calculating hours worked (e.g., 25 hours):

Format > Number > Duration.
This ensures 25 hours isn't converted to "1 day, 1 hour".

3. Numbers & Currencies

Ensure prices and scores look professional.

Data Type	Raw Input	Desired Output	How to Fix
Currency	`1000`	`$1,000.00`	In Sheets: Format > Number > Currency.
Percentage	`0.25`	`25%`	In Sheets: Click the % button.
Padding	`1`	`001`	In Sheets: Format > Number > Custom Number Format > Type `000`.

4. Regional Formats (Locale)

Does your PDF show MM/DD when you need DD/MM?

Google Sheets defaults to the "File Locale". Go to File > Settings > Locale in your Google Sheet and change it to your country (e.g., United Kingdom or India). This automatically fixes date orders and currency symbols (£ vs $) for the entire spreadsheet.

5. Custom Pattern Cheatsheet

If you are using the "Custom Number Format" menu in Google Sheets, use these codes to get exact results:

dd-mm-yyyy

31-01-2024

mmmm d

January 1

ddd, mmm d

Wed, Jan 1

0.00

Two Decimals