TIMEVALUE Function

Summary

The Excel TIMEVALUE function converts a text string that represents a time into a valid Excel time value.

TIMEVALUE is useful when imported data, copied reports, web exports, or log files store time values as text instead of as usable Excel times.

That is why TIMEVALUE usually appears in cleanup and import workflows. It converts readable time text into the serial value Excel needs for subtraction, sorting, duration checks, or consistent display formatting. Once the conversion happens, the sheet can treat the result like any other genuine time.

Syntax

=TIMEVALUE(time_text)

The function takes one argument: a text string that Excel can recognize as a valid time.

Arguments

• time_text - A text string that represents a valid time.

TIMEVALUE vs TIME

These two functions work with time values in different ways.

Use TIMEVALUE when the source value is still text. Use TIME when you already have the hour, minute, and second as numbers.

Using TIMEVALUE

Microsoft documents that TIMEVALUE returns the decimal portion of a time value, ranging from 0 to about 0.99988426, which represents times from 12:00:00 AM to 11:59:59 PM.

An important detail is that date information in time_text is ignored. If the text includes both a date and a time, TIMEVALUE keeps the time portion only. If the text cannot be recognized as a valid time, Excel returns #VALUE!.

This makes TIMEVALUE especially useful in cleanup workflows. You can extract the time-like portion of a messy string, convert it into a real time value, and then use that result in comparisons, schedules, or further calculations.

Example 1 - Convert a Simple Text Time

The most direct use of TIMEVALUE is converting a text time into a real Excel time.

=TIMEVALUE("10:30")

This returns a valid time value that Excel can format and calculate with, instead of leaving the input as plain text.

Example 2 - Convert AM/PM Text

TIMEVALUE can also handle 12-hour time strings that include AM or PM.

=TIMEVALUE("2:45 PM")

This is useful when imported data uses a 12-hour clock format and you need a standard Excel time value for calculations.

Example 3 - Ignore the Date Portion

If the text includes both a date and a time, TIMEVALUE keeps only the time portion.

=TIMEVALUE("2026-04-06 14:00")

This is helpful when you only need the clock value from a combined timestamp string.

Example 4 - Convert Time Extracted from Text

You can combine TIMEVALUE with text functions to repair messy imported strings.

=TIMEVALUE(RIGHT(B2,8))

If the last eight characters of B2 contain a valid time such as 22:45:30, this formula turns that extracted text into a real Excel time value.

Conclusion Recap

TIMEVALUE is useful when the time looks right on screen but Excel is still treating it as text. In this lesson, that meant converting simple text times, handling AM and PM, ignoring the date part inside a text timestamp, and pulling a time out of a larger string before converting it.

The main idea is easy: if the source is text, TIMEVALUE can turn it into a real time value that Excel can compare, format, and calculate with. If the text is not recognized as a valid time, that is when the formula fails.

• Summary: TIMEVALUE converts time text into a valid Excel time value.
• Best use: It is ideal for imported or copied data where the time is stored as text.
• Important detail: Date text is ignored and only the time portion is returned.
• Error behavior: Invalid time text returns #VALUE!.
• Difference from TIME: TIMEVALUE converts from text, while TIME builds from numeric parts.
• Common use: Cleanup, parsing, standardization, and text-to-time conversion workflows.