Easy Tech TutsHow to Sort Data by Date in Microsoft Excel Easily 2026
By Impran M N
Sorting by date sounds simple until Excel treats your dates as plain text and sorts them alphabetically instead of chronologically. This guide shows how to verify your date column is formatted correctly, use the fast right-click sort shortcuts, and layer in a second sorting rule when you need more than just date order.
01Verify your dates are true date values
Select your date column and check whether the values are right-aligned, which signals Excel recognizes them as real dates rather than left-aligned text.
02Convert text dates if needed
If your dates lean left, use the Text to Columns tool on the Data tab and choose the date format to properly convert them.
03Use the right-click shortcut to sort
Right-click any cell in your date column and choose to sort oldest to newest or newest to oldest from the context menu.
04Keep related rows together
Make sure the option to expand your selection is checked so that neighboring columns move along with each date row instead of getting misaligned.
05Build a multi-level sort for extra criteria
Open the custom sort dialog from the Data tab, set date as your primary sort level, then add a second level like sales or names for finer control.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my date column sorting alphabetically instead of chronologically?
This usually happens because the dates are stored as text rather than true date values, so converting them with Text to Columns should fix it.
How do I sort by date and then by another column?
Use the custom Sort dialog, set your date column as the primary Sort by field, then click Add Level to add a secondary column like revenue or name.
Will sorting mess up my other columns?
Not if you keep the expand selection option checked, which ensures all related data in each row moves together during the sort.
What's the fastest way to sort by date?
Right-clicking any cell in your date column and choosing the oldest-to-newest or newest-to-oldest shortcut is the quickest method.
Watch the full walkthrough
The same steps, demonstrated on screen from start to finish.
