How date matching works here
The matcher recognises three families of date strings. The first is numeric: 1 or 2 digits, a slash or dash, 1 or 2 digits, a slash or dash, then 2 or 4 digits. So 12/03/2026, 3/12/26 and 12-03-2026 all match. The matcher does not pick a locale; the same digits could be DMY or MDY depending on your data.
The second family is ISO 8601: exactly four digits, dash, two digits, dash, two digits. 2026-03-12 matches, but partial forms like 2026-03 do not. The third is English month names: Jan through Dec, with optional full-name tail (January), then 1 or 2 day digits, an optional comma, and a 4-digit year. So March 12, 2026 and Mar 12 2026 both match.
The matcher is format-aware but not calendar-aware. 02/30/2026 and 2026-13-40 match the shape and are returned as-is, even though they are not real dates. To validate, post-process the output in a spreadsheet or paste through extract regex matches with a stricter pattern.
How to use extract dates from text
- 1Paste the document, log or message into the input panel.
- 2The output panel shows every date, one per line.
- 3Click Copy to copy the list.
- 4Click Download to save it as a plain-text file.
- 5Need a stricter format? Use extract regex matches with your own pattern.
Keyboard shortcuts
Drive TextResult without touching the mouse.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl F | Open the find & replace panel inside the input Plus |
| Ctrl Z | Undo the last input change |
| Ctrl Shift Z | Redo |
| Ctrl Shift Enter | Toggle fullscreen focus on the editor Plus |
| Esc | Close find & replace, or exit fullscreen |
| Ctrl K | Open the command palette to jump to any tool Plus |
| Ctrl S | Save current workflow draft Plus |
| Ctrl P | Run a saved workflow Plus |
What counts as a date here
Numeric with slashes or dashes
D/M/Y, M/D/Y and D-M-Y shapes match if each part is 1 to 2 digits and the year is 2 or 4 digits. 12/03/26, 3-12-2026 and 12/3/2026 all match.
ISO 8601 (year-first)
Exactly YYYY-MM-DD. 2026-03-12 matches; 2026-03 and 2026/03/12 do not (the year-first form requires dashes).
English month names
Three-letter abbreviations Jan to Dec, optionally extended (January, September), then day, optional comma, then 4-digit year. Match is case-insensitive (the regex uses the i flag).
No locale or calendar validation
Dates are matched on shape only. 02/30/2026 and 2026-13-40 match because the digit groups fit. To filter to real dates, post-process in a spreadsheet.
Order preserved, duplicates kept
Matches appear in source order. Duplicates are not removed; pipe through remove duplicate lines for a unique list.
Worked example
All three formats appear in the output as they were written. The matcher does not normalise to a single layout; if you need ISO output, run the result through find and replace or a spreadsheet.
Invoice 12/03/2026, due 2026-04-15. Meeting on March 12, 2026. Shipped Apr 4 2026 and arrived 2026-04-08.
12/03/2026 2026-04-15 March 12, 2026 Apr 4 2026 2026-04-08
Settings reference
| Behaviour | Effect on output |
|---|---|
| Numeric with slashes | D/M/Y or M/D/Y, 1-2 digit parts, 2 or 4 digit year. |
| Numeric with dashes | D-M-Y, same digit rules. ISO YYYY-MM-DD separately allowed. |
| ISO 8601 | Exactly YYYY-MM-DD. Year-first with dashes only. |
| English month names | Jan-Dec abbreviations, optional full-name tail. Case-insensitive. |
| Validation | Shape-only. Impossible dates like 02/30/2026 still match. |
| Other languages | Not supported. Use extract regex matches for non-English month names. |
FAQ
Are non-English month names supported?
Jan through Dec. For French, German or other languages, use extract regex matches with a pattern that lists the month words you need.Does the matcher know my date locale (DMY vs MDY)?
03/04/2026 could be 3 April or March 4 depending on your data. The matcher captures the string as written; deciding which is which is up to your downstream code or spreadsheet.Will partial dates like 2026 or March 2026 match?
\b\d{4}\b or \b(?:Jan|Feb|...)\w*\s+\d{4}\b.