RowPilot · Guide
How to keep dates, numbers and leading zeros correct in data entry
Spreadsheets try to be helpful: they turn 00123 into 123 and may read 03/04/2026 as either March or April. Web forms can be strict about formats too. These are the mistakes that cause the most trouble, and how to prevent them.
Leading zeros and long IDs
IDs, ZIP codes and phone numbers often start with zeros. Spreadsheets may treat them as numbers and drop those zeros. Very long IDs can also lose digits or turn into a form like 1.23E+15.
- Excel: select the column, choose Format Cells → Text, then enter or paste your data. Formatting afterwards won't bring back zeros that are already gone.
- Google Sheets: choose Format → Number → Plain text before you enter the data.
- Opening a CSV: double-clicking a CSV in Excel can remove the zeros. Use Data → From Text/CSV and set the column to text, or load the CSV directly into your tool without opening it first.
Check the original data if an ID looks too short. Once the zeros are gone, no tool can tell they were there.
Day-first or month-first dates
03/04/2026 is 3 April in much of the world and March 4 in the US. The spreadsheet can't tell which you meant, and neither can a form, so a wrong date may go through with no error.
- Use an unambiguous format: 2026-04-03 or 3 Apr 2026 can't be misread.
- Check a late date: a date like 31/12/2026 only works as day-first, so it shows you which order the column uses.
- Check your settings: Excel follows your computer's region, and Google Sheets uses File → Settings → Locale.
RowPilot's panel has a Dates like 03/04/2026 mean setting. It converts to the format the form's date field needs. If you choose month/day/year and a row says 31/12/2026, that row appears under Check your rows. Dates that fit both orders can't be flagged, so choose carefully.
Amounts and decimal separators
Number fields usually reject currency signs and thousands separators, and some regions write 1.234,56 where others write 1,234.56. Here's how RowPilot reads each one for a number field:
| In your sheet | Goes into the form as |
|---|---|
| $1,250.50 | 1250.50 |
| 1.234,56 | 1234.56 |
| 45% | 45 |
| (500) | -500 |
| 1.234 | 1.234 |
Watch out for that last row. If you meant one thousand two hundred and thirty-four, a value like 1.234 is ambiguous, so remove the separator from your sheet first. RowPilot only converts for number fields, and plain text boxes get your text exactly as it is.
Yes/no and dropdown values
- Checkboxes: RowPilot ticks a box for yes, y, x, 1, true or on, and unticks it for no, n, 0, false, off or an empty cell. Anything else is flagged.
- Dropdowns: upper or lower case and punctuation don't matter, so "united states" matches "United States". An abbreviation like "USA" won't match, and it's flagged instead of guessed.
Quick check before you start
- Compare the first five IDs with the original source.
- Find a date with a day above 12 to confirm the order.
- Fill one row, then read every value on the page before you submit it.
Try it on your own form. RowPilot is a Chrome extension. The free plan covers up to 25 rows per file from a CSV or pasted rows, and every install starts with a 7-day trial of Pro.
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