How to Sort Dates in Excel by Month

Mastering the Art of Sorting Dates by Month in Excel

Excel, the ubiquitous spreadsheet software, is a powerhouse for organizing, analyzing, and presenting data. One common task that can trip up even seasoned Excel users is sorting dates by month. Whether you’re managing project timelines, tracking sales data, or planning events, sorting dates by month can provide valuable insights and help keep your data organized. In this article, we’ll dive deep into the methods and tricks to sort dates by month in Excel efficiently and accurately.

Understanding Excel Date Formats

Before we delve into sorting, it’s crucial to understand how Excel handles dates. Excel stores dates as serial numbers where each number represents a day, starting from January 1, 1900. This system allows Excel to perform calculations on dates. However, when it comes to sorting by month, we need to extract the month component from the date.

Extracting the Month from a Date

To sort dates by month, we first need to extract the month from each date. This can be done using the MONTH function. Here’s how it works:

=MONTH(A2)

This formula will return the month number (1 for January, 2 for February, etc.) for the date in cell A2. Once you have the month numbers, you can sort your data based on these values.

Sorting Dates by Month in Excel

Now that we have the month numbers, let’s explore the different ways to sort dates by month in Excel.

Method 1: Using a Helper Column

The most straightforward method to sort by month involves creating a helper column:

1. Add a new column next to your dates.
2. Use the MONTH function to extract the month number for each date.
3. Select your data range, including the helper column.
4. Go to the Data tab and click on ‘Sort’.
5. Choose to sort by your helper column in ascending or descending order.

This method is simple and effective, but it does require an extra column in your worksheet.

Method 2: Custom Sort

If you prefer not to use a helper column, you can use Excel’s custom sort feature:

1. Select your data range.
2. Go to the Data tab and click on ‘Sort’.
3. In the Sort dialog, click on ‘Sort by’ and choose your date column.
4. Click on ‘Order’ and select ‘Custom List’.
5. In the Custom Lists dialog, select the list that starts with January or create a new list with the months in the order you want.
6. Click OK to sort your data by month.

This method allows you to sort without altering your data set with additional columns.

Method 3: Using Formulas to Sort

For those who love formulas, you can sort dates by month using a combination of functions:

=SORT(A2:A100, MONTH(A2:A100), TRUE)

This formula uses the SORT function to sort the range A2:A100 by the month numbers extracted using the MONTH function. The TRUE argument sorts in ascending order.

Advanced Sorting Techniques

When you have more complex data sets, you might need to employ more advanced techniques to sort your dates by month.

Sorting by Month and Year

If your data spans multiple years, you’ll want to sort by both month and year to keep your data in chronological order. Here’s how:

1. Add two helper columns, one for the year and one for the month.
2. Use the YEAR and MONTH functions to extract these values.
3. Sort your data first by the year column and then by the month column.

This ensures that your data is sorted first by year, then by month within each year.

Grouping Dates by Month

Sometimes, instead of sorting, you might want to group your dates by month. This can be done using Excel’s PivotTable feature:

1. Select your data range and go to the Insert tab.
2. Click on ‘PivotTable’ and create a new PivotTable.
3. In the PivotTable Fields pane, drag your date field to the Rows area.
4. Right-click on one of the dates in the PivotTable and choose ‘Group’.
5. Select ‘Months’ in the Grouping dialog and click OK.

This will group your data by month, allowing you to analyze it in a more structured way.

Sorting Dates by Month Across Multiple Sheets

If you’re working with dates spread across multiple sheets, you can use 3D references or consolidate your data into one sheet before sorting. Here’s a quick guide:

1. Consolidate your data into one master sheet using copy-paste or Excel’s ‘Consolidate’ feature.
2. Follow the sorting methods mentioned above on the master sheet.

This approach ensures that all your date data is sorted uniformly across your entire workbook.

FAQ Section

How do I sort by month names instead of month numbers?

To sort by month names, you can use a custom sort list as described in Method 2. Excel recognizes month names and can sort them in chronological order.

Can I sort dates by month without changing the original order of days within each month?

Yes, you can sort by month while preserving the order of days by using a helper column for the month and then sorting by the original date column as a secondary sort criterion.

What if my dates are formatted as text?

If your dates are formatted as text, you’ll need to convert them to actual date values using the DATEVALUE function before sorting by month.

Can I sort by fiscal months instead of calendar months?

Yes, you can sort by fiscal months by creating a custom sort list that reflects your fiscal year or by using helper columns that map each date to its corresponding fiscal month.

Conclusion

Sorting dates by month in Excel can be a breeze once you understand the underlying principles and techniques. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced user, Excel offers a variety of methods to achieve this task. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can organize your data more effectively and uncover valuable insights that are hidden within the timelines. Remember, the key to mastering Excel is practice and experimentation, so don’t hesitate to try out these methods on your own data sets.