Answer

To sort by date in Excel, select the column containing dates, click the Data tab, then choose Sort A to Z (oldest to newest) or Sort Z to A (newest to oldest).

Selecting the Date Column

Click any cell within the column that contains your dates. Excel automatically detects the range when you apply sorting commands.

Using Quick Sort Buttons

Navigate to the Data tab on the ribbon. Two sorting buttons appear in the Sort & Filter group:

1. Sort Oldest to Newest - arranges dates in ascending chronological order
2. Sort Newest to Oldest - arranges dates in descending chronological order

Click either button to immediately sort your data.

Sorting a Table with Multiple Columns

Select any cell within your data range before sorting. Excel treats connected data as a table and moves entire rows together when sorting by date. This preserves the relationship between dates and corresponding information in adjacent columns.

Opening the Sort Dialog Box

Click the Sort button in the Data tab to access advanced sorting options. The dialog box allows you to:

1. Choose which column to sort by from the "Sort by" dropdown
2. Select "Cell Values" under the Sort On option
3. Pick "Oldest to Newest" or "Newest to Oldest" from the Order dropdown
4. Add multiple sorting levels using the "Add Level" button

Adding Multiple Sort Levels

Click "Add Level" in the Sort dialog to create secondary sorting criteria. Excel sorts by the first level, then applies subsequent levels to organize rows with identical values in the previous level.

Example sorting sequence:

1. First level: Sort by Date (newest to oldest)
2. Second level: Sort by Department (A to Z)
3. Third level: Sort by Sales Amount (largest to smallest)

What Happens When Dates Are Formatted as Text

No, Excel cannot properly sort dates formatted as text using standard date sorting. Text-formatted dates sort alphabetically rather than chronologically, placing "12/1/2024" before "2/15/2024" because "1" comes before "2" alphabetically.

Convert text to dates before sorting by:

1. Selecting the cells with text dates
2. Clicking the warning icon that appears
3. Choosing "Convert to Number"

Windows alternative: Use the Text to Columns feature (Data tab > Text to Columns > Finish)

Mac alternative: Use the same Text to Columns feature located in the Data tab

Sorting by Month or Year Only

Extract the month or year component into a helper column, then sort by that column. Use these functions:

• MONTH(date) - returns the month number (1-12)
• YEAR(date) - returns the four-digit year
• TEXT(date,"mmmm") - returns the full month name

Place the formula in a new column adjacent to your dates, copy it down for all rows, then sort by the helper column.

Fixing Dates That Won't Sort Correctly

Dates stored as serial numbers sort correctly, while dates stored as text do not. Check the cell format by selecting a date cell and viewing the Number Format box on the Home tab.

Conversion steps:

1. Select the problematic date cells
2. Press Ctrl+1 (Windows) or Cmd+1 (Mac) to open Format Cells
3. Choose Date from the Category list
4. Select your preferred date format
5. Click OK

Sorting Dates Across Different Formats

Yes, Excel can sort dates in different formats within the same column when all dates are stored as date values rather than text. The display format (MM/DD/YYYY, DD-MMM-YY, etc.) does not affect sorting because Excel stores all dates as serial numbers internally.

Standardize formats after sorting by selecting the column, opening Format Cells (Ctrl+1 or Cmd+1), and choosing a consistent date format.

Using Custom Sort Orders

Create a custom list for non-standard date sorting through File > Options > Advanced > Edit Custom Lists (Windows) or Excel > Preferences > Custom Lists (Mac). This feature works for sorting by day names (Monday, Tuesday) or month names (January, February) rather than chronological order.

Sorting Dates Within a Filtered Range

Apply an AutoFilter first by selecting your data and clicking Filter in the Data tab. Click the dropdown arrow in the date column header to access filtering options. The Sort Oldest to Newest and Sort Newest to Oldest commands appear at the top of the filter menu and sort only the visible (filtered) data.

Preserving Formulas When Sorting

Excel automatically adjusts relative cell references in formulas when you sort data. Formulas in the same row as the dates move together with their corresponding data. Absolute references (using $ symbols) remain fixed to their original cell locations.

Undoing a Sort Operation

Press Ctrl+Z (Windows) or Cmd+Z (Mac) immediately after sorting to reverse the operation. Excel maintains only one level of undo for sorting, so save your workbook before performing complex sorting operations on critical data.

Sorting Dates with Blank Cells

Excel places blank cells at the bottom when sorting oldest to newest, and at the bottom when sorting newest to oldest. Blank cells always appear last regardless of sort direction in date columns.

Remove blank rows before sorting by:

1. Selecting your data range
2. Pressing Ctrl+G (Windows) or Fn+F5 (Mac)
3. Clicking Special > Blanks
4. Right-clicking any selected blank cell
5. Choosing Delete > Entire Row

Can You Sort by Date in a Pivot Table

Yes, you can sort by date in a pivot table by clicking the dropdown arrow next to the date field in the Row Labels or Column Labels area, then selecting Sort Oldest to Newest or Sort Newest to Oldest. Pivot tables maintain the sort order when you refresh the data.

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