How to Sort by Date in Excel

Sorting data is an essential task when working with Microsoft Excel. However, when dealing with date values, sorting can become a bit tricky. If you’re looking to learn how to sort by date in Excel, you’ve come to the right place. In this blog post, we’ll guide you through the steps to sort by date in Excel and ensure that your data is organized and displayed accurately. Whether you’re a beginner or an intermediate Excel user, these tips will help you master the art of sorting by date in Excel.

Introduction

As we already indicated in the Introduction paragraph, sorting data is an essential part of working with Microsoft Excel. When working with date values, it’s equally important to ensure that data is arranged chronologically to have a clear picture of any trends or patterns that you may want to extract from your data. Sorting by date in Excel is a straightforward process that we’ll walk you through in a few simple steps.

Step 1: Organize your Data

If you’re going to sort by date in Excel, it’s best to have your date information in a well-structured format. Ideally, you should have a single date column that uses a consistent date format. You can use Excel’s built-in numerical date formats or create a custom format that suits your needs to display your date values.

Step 2: Select your Data Range

To begin sorting our data, we’ll start by selecting the data range. If you’re sorting by date in Excel, you’ll need to select the column that contains your date values. Be sure to select the entire column, including the header row.

Step 3: Access the Sort and Filter Function

Next, we’ll need to activate the Sort and Filter function, which allows us to sort by date in Excel. The Sort and Filter function is located in the Home tab and is represented by an icon that looks like a funnel. Clicking on this icon will open a dropdown menu that gives you access to several options, including sorting options.

Step 4: Choose your Sort Type and Order

When you click on the “Sort Oldest to Newest” option, Excel will rearrange your data to be sorted by date from the oldest to the newest. If you click on the “Sort Newest to Oldest,” the opposite will happen.

Step 5: Remove Filters

If you have any filters applied to your data, be sure to remove them before you sort your data by date in Excel. Otherwise, the function will not work correctly.

In Conclusion

Sorting by date in Excel is a simple but essential process that will help you get the most out of your data. By following these steps, you can be confident that your data is well organized, and you’ll be able to extract the insights you need from your spreadsheets.

Using Filters with Sorted Data

If you want to filter by a specific date, it’s best to sort your data by date first before applying your filter. Once you sort by date in Excel, you can easily filter by a specific date range. To do this, select the filter icon in your table or use the shortcut key Ctrl + Shift + L. Once you filter your data, you’ll only see the rows that match the filter criteria.

Customizing Your Date Format

Excel has built-in date formats that you can use to display your date values. If you want to customize your date format, you can do so using the “Format Cells” option located in Excel’s Home tab. To access the Format Cells option, first select the cells you want to format, then click on the drop-down arrow beside the “Number Format” section in the Home tab. From there, you can choose the “More Number Formats” option to access more customization options.

Highlighting Today’s Date

If you want to highlight the cells that represent today’s date, you can use Excel’s conditional formatting tool. To do this, first, select the data range you want to apply your formatting to. Click on the “Conditional Formatting” button on the Home tab and select “Highlight Cells Rules” and then “A Date Occurring.” Finally, select “Today” from the dropdown list, and choose your desired highlighting option.

Sorting Data with Time

If your data includes time values along with your date values, sorting can become a bit more complicated. Excel recognizes numbers entered as times, but you’ll need to format them correctly to sort by both date and time. When sorting data with time, be sure to select all columns that include your date and time information, and apply a custom date and time format that sorts your date and time in the correct order.

Sorting data is a crucial part of working with Excel, and arranging data by date is a fundamental technique that you’ll want to master. By following the steps we’ve outlined in this blog post, you can easily sort by date in Excel and get a better understanding of the trends and patterns in your data. Remember to organize your data, select your data range, access the Sort and Filter function, choose your sort type and order, and remove filters before sorting your data. Additionally, consider customizing your date format, highlighting today’s date and sorting data with time to add more value to your spreadsheet.

FAQ

Here are some common questions and answers regarding sorting by date in Excel:

Can I sort by date in Excel if the date format is inconsistent?

It’s best to have a consistent date format to ensure proper sorting by date; otherwise, Excel may sort the data incorrectly. If your data is in various date formats, you can try converting all the data to a single date format using Excel’s formatting tools. Go to the Home tab, select Format Cells, then choose the date format that you want.

Can I sort by date and time in Excel?

Yes, you can sort by date and time in Excel. Ensure that your data range includes columns for both date and time, use a custom date and time format, and select the correct options when sorting your data.

Can I sort by year only in Excel?

Yes, you can sort by year in Excel. Select the data range you want to sort, then click on the “Sort & Filter” function to access the sort options. Choose to sort by “Custom List,” then enter “yyyy” in the input box to represent the year format. This will sort by year instead of by the full date.

Can I highlight cells that are within a specific date range?

Yes, you can highlight cells that fall within a specific date range in Excel. First, select the data range you want to apply your formatting to. Click on the “Conditional Formatting” button on the Home tab and select “Highlight Cells Rules” and then “Between.” Finally, enter the start and end dates of your range to highlight all cells that fall between those dates.

Will sorting by date in Excel modify my original data?

No, sorting by date in Excel will not modify your original data. It only rearranges the data in your selected range based on your sorting criteria.