How to format and import Date Fields
Formatting dates and times incorrectly while importing data can be the root of errors users tend to experience. This article shows how to format dates when Importing data and clarify two common questions users encounter.
What Time Zone is used when Importing dates?
The Time Zone used when Importing dates is based off of the Profile Time Zone. The default Profile Time Zone is UTC. Unless the user has manually changed their preferred Time Zone, it will stay at UTC indefinitely. The Profile Time Zone can be changed by clicking the icon in the top right corner then Profile. Once in Profile, click Edit Profile in the bottom lab corner of your screen to change the Time Zone.
Why is 17:00:00 the recommended time when a user does not have a time stamp associated with their date?
As noted above, the Profile Time Zone determines the Time Zone used when Importing. However, the Time Zone displayed in the Records is based on the user's browser Time Zone. For example, if a user sets UTC as their default Time Zone, but lives in the Central Standard Time Zone, setting the time stamp in the Import file to 17:00:00 will ultimately result with the records displaying 12:00 PM as the time.
We always want Record Dates to occur during the workday, so this is a good way to ensure that happens. It is important to be cognizant of your Customer Profile Time Zone when Importing Records with dates.
Why did the importer say my dates where not valid? When I look at the error file, the date values have been changed to numbers like "45000".
Risk Cloud could not convert the values you provided to dates. To rectify this, check the Format of the date cells. If your formatting is set to "Custom", try changing it to "Date" for the problematic cells. Please ensure the reformatted dates are correct prior to importing the file.