How To Sort by Date in Excel (New AI Method)
Jan 01, 2025
Did you know you can sort by date in Excel using AI?
Traditional sorting methods can be clunky, especially when you have complex or messy data. Fortunately, AI tools like Gemini and ChatGPT can step in to save the day.
In this guide, you'll learn to sort by date in Microsoft Excel using AI. We will also explain the traditional methods in simple, actionable steps.
Understanding Date Formats in Excel
Before we explore sorting, you should understand how Excel handles dates. Excel stores dates as serial numbers, starting from January 1, 1900. For example, January 1, 2024, is stored as 45000. This system allows Excel to perform calculations on dates seamlessly.
Follow these steps to check and change date format in Excel:
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Select the column with dates.
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Go to the Home tab.
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In the Number group, choose Date from the dropdown menu.
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Pick a consistent date format to avoid sorting errors.
Read more: How to sort by date in Google Sheets.
Basic Sorting by Date in Excel
Excel has a built-in Sort & Filter tool to help you easily sort dates. See how to use it below:
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Select the data: Highlight the column containing your dates (include headers if applicable). If your dates are part of a larger dataset, select the entire dataset to ensure everything stays aligned.
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Go to the Data tab: On the Excel ribbon, click the Data tab.
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Choose sort order: Click A to Z (Sort Oldest to Newest) or Z to A (Sort Newest to Oldest) in the Sort & Filter group.
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Check for proper format: Go through your table to verify the changes. As you can see below, our table is now sorted in ascending order.
Advanced Date Sorting Techniques in Excel
You can take things further by sorting your data by year, month, day, etc. Learn each of them in detail below:
Sorting by year in Excel.
Sorting by year in Excel involves extracting the year from a date column and then sorting based on that information. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
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Insert a helper column: Add a separate column next to your date column (e.g., "Helper").
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Extract the year: In the first cell of the new column, use the YEAR formula: =YEAR(C2). (Assuming your dates are in column C starting from C2.)
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Copy the formula down: Drag the formula down to apply it to all rows.
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Sort by the helper column:
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Select your entire dataset.
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Go to the Data tab and click on Sort.
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In the Sort by dropdown, choose the "Year" column. Then, choose your preferred order. If your dataset has headers, ensure the "My data has headers" checkbox is checked.
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Click OK.
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- Delete the helper column: Once satisfied with the new order, you can delete the helper column.
Sorting by day in Excel.
You can pull days from dates to sort your Excel sheet by days of the week. We have explained the process below:
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Create a helper column: You need an extra column to extract the weekdays. Insert it next to the date column.
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Extract the day: Enter the DAY formula =DAY(cell reference) in the new column's first cell.
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Copy the formula: Fill the entire column by dragging the formula down.
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Sort by the helper column: Sort by the helper column, as explained in the previous header. You can also follow the basic sorting process to get the same result. Delete the helper column after.
Sorting by month in Excel.
You may need to sort by month in Excel for several reasons. These reasons include analyzing monthly sales performance, preparing financial reports, tracking seasonal trends, or organizing employee birthdays. Here's how to sort by month in Excel:
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Insert a helper column: Insert a new column next to the column containing the unsorted dates (e.g., "Month").
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Extract the month: Enter the MONTH or TEXT function in the first empty cell. To display the month as a name (e.g., "January"), use =TEXT(A2, "mmmm"). To extract the month as a number (e.g., 1 for January), =MONTH(A2).
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Apply to all rows: Apply the formula to all rows by dragging it down or using AutoFill.
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Sort by the helper column: Sort your data by the helper column and delete it when done.
Sorting by Month or weekday names.
Month and weekday names are text values in Excel. So, sorting alphabetically (A-Z) places "April" before "January" or "Friday" before "Monday," disrupting chronological order. But don't worry, custom sorting is just what you need as it forces the correct sequence.
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Highlight your data: Select the dataset that includes the column with month or weekday names.
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Open the Sort dialog box: Go to the Data tab on the ribbon. Click Sort.
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Choose the column to sort: In the Sort by dropdown, select the column containing the month or weekday names.
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Set the Sort Order to Custom List: Under Order, click the dropdown and choose Custom List. In the Custom Lists dialog box:
For months, select the built-in list: January, February, March, ...
For weekdays, select the built-in list: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, ...
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Apply the sort: Click OK in the Custom Lists dialog, then OK in the Sort dialog. The data will now be sorted in the correct order.
Sorting by Date in Excel Using AI
One of the smartest ways to use AI in Excel is to generate VBA scripts. VBA scripts help you save time and effort by automating your tasks. Here's how you can use AI to generate a VBA script to sort data by date in Excel:
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Be specific in your request: Clearly state the problem, such as "Provide a VBA code snippet to sort data in Excel by date in ascending order."
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Provide context: Mention any relevant details, like the name of the worksheet, the range of cells, or if the dates are in a specific column.
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Mention output preferences: Specify if you want the code to sort the data in place, copy it to another sheet, or include additional functionality like error handling.
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Request explanations (Optional): If you're new to VBA, ask for a brief explanation of how the code works.
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Example prompt: Try something like this: "Can you provide a VBA macro to sort a dataset by date in ascending order? The dates are in column B, and the dataset starts from row 2 in a sheet named 'DataSheet'. Please include comments explaining the steps."
Read more: How to open VBA in Excel.
How to Fix Issues When Excel Can't Sort by Date
You may encounter issues when sorting by date in Excel for several reasons. Follow the steps below to fix your Excel can't sort by date issues:
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Convert text to dates using Text to Columns or DATEVALUE.
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Ensure consistent date formats.
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Remove hidden spaces or characters with TRIM or Find & Replace.
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Unmerge cells and clear filters.
Final Thoughts
Whether you're tackling simple date sorting or complex scenarios like sorting by months or weekdays, the techniques in this article will ensure efficiency and accuracy. You can save time by getting a VBA code from your AI tool. But if you prefer a hands-on approach, that's okay too.
For more easy-to-follow Excel guides and the latest Excel Templates, visit Simple Sheets and the related articles section of this blog post.
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FAQ
1. Why is Excel not sorting my dates correctly?
Excel might not recognize your dates if they are stored as text. Convert them to proper date formats using the Text to Columns feature or the DATEVALUE function.
2. How can I sort dates by month in Excel?
Use a helper column with the formula =MONTH(A2) or =TEXT(A2, "mmmm") to extract the month. Then, sort the dataset by the helper column for accurate results.
3. Can AI tools automate sorting tasks in Excel?
Yes, AI tools like ChatGPT can generate VBA scripts to automate sorting by date. This saves time and reduces errors in complex datasets.
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