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Smart Date and Number Formats convert dates and numbers written in other regional styles into the format your column expects, and ask the user only when a value could mean two different things.

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What it does

Files from different countries write the same date or number differently. 04/05/2024 is 4 May in the UK and 5 April in the US. 1,234 is one thousand two hundred thirty-four in the US and one point two three four in much of Europe. If the importer guesses wrong, valid data is rejected or, worse, imported with the wrong meaning. With Smart Date and Number Formats, CSVbox reads the Date, Number, Currency, and Percentage columns before the user reaches the Verify Data step. Values that can be read only one way are converted into the format your column expects. When a value could mean two different things, the user is asked once how to read it. Nothing is imported until the question is answered or skipped.

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How to enable it

1

Open the sheet settings

Go to your Sheet Settings.
2

Open the Verify Data tab

Click the Import Steps tab, then navigate to the Verify Data tab.
3

Turn on date correction

Set Date correction? to Yes. The default value is No.
4

Save your settings

Save your settings.
While the setting is off, values are validated as they are, so a day-first date in a month-first column shows as invalid.
To try it out, upload a file with an unclear date and an unclear number through Test Importer, answer the question, and check the Verify Data screen without submitting.

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Set the format each column expects

The feature always converts into the format configured on the column, so set your column types carefully under Sheet Settings → Columns → Edit. See Validations for the full list of column types.
For a worldwide audience, a Number column with Allow commas off is the most predictable: you receive plain numbers whatever the file looked like.

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What happens during upload

The import flow stays the same: upload, select the header row, map columns, then Verify Data. The extra step happens right before Verify Data.

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When the file is clear

If every value can be read only one way, CSVbox converts it quietly and goes straight to Verify Data. No question is shown. Examples:
  • 13/02/2024 (there is no 13th month, so it is day-first)
  • 1.234,56 (this can only be European style)
  • 2024-04-19 (year first)
  • 1 234,56, 12,34,567.89
  • 4 May 2026, May 4, 2026, 04-May-2026 (an English month name can only mean one date)
The same happens when the clear values show that the file already uses your column’s day/month order. Values written differently, such as another separator (13.02.2024, 13-02-2024) or no leading zero (5/4/2024), are rewritten into your format, and values that are already correct are left alone.

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When a value could mean two things

The user sees a card with the column name and the two possible readings. For example:
How should we read dates in this column? 12/11/2024 means:
  • 11/12/2024, 12 November 2024 · DD/MM/YYYY
  • 12/11/2024, 11 December 2024 · MM/DD/YYYY
or:
How should we read numbers in this column? 1,234 means:
  • 1234, the comma separates thousands
  • 1.234, the comma is the decimal point
  • The bold date is what will be imported, written in your sheet’s own date format (here MM/DD/YYYY). A sheet set to DD-MM-YYYY offers DD-MM-YYYY and MM-DD-YYYY.
  • When the rest of the file points one way, that choice is marked suggested.
  • If several columns need a question, the user sees 1 of 2, 2 of 2, and a Back button.
  • The question appears in the importer’s language.

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What each answer does

  • Pick a reading: every value in that column is rewritten into your column’s format. Values that were already clear are converted as well, so the column ends up consistent.
  • Keep original: nothing in that column is changed. Values the importer can’t accept show as Invalid on the Verify Data screen, where the user can fix or remove them.
The user can’t reach Submit while a question is open. They have to answer it or choose Keep original.
On the Verify Data screen, converted columns already show the new values in your column’s format, so what the user sees is what will be imported. If the default view under Verify Data is set to invalid rows only and the conversion fixes every value, CSVbox opens on All rows instead of an empty screen.

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Examples

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Limitations

  • It doesn’t guess when a value is truly unclear. It asks the user.
  • It covers Date, Number, Currency, and Percentage columns only.
  • It doesn’t change the meaning of a time (no 12 to 24 hour conversion) or fix typos.
  • If your Date Format has a time, files must include one for each date. A date written without a time is flagged as invalid.
  • Only English month names are recognized.
  • A cell the user edited by hand is left alone if they change an answer later.
  • Values themselves are never translated.

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Troubleshooting