How To Sort By Date In Google Sheets

When dealing with a large dataset in your spreadsheet, your data might go haywire. For these instances, the sorting function can come in handy to keep your data organized and keep you on track.

Thankfully, in Google Sheets, the sort feature is built into the tool. So, if you are looking for a way to sort certain dates, like your family’s birthdays, or review your monthly transactions, then this article is here to help you out.

So, without further ado, let’s explore the different methods you can apply to sort your data by date in Google Sheets.

Before We Begin

Please ensure that you have entered a date format that Google recognizes. The sorting function might fail to work in some cases due to the incorrect formatting entered on your dataset. So, to check whether the dates in your cells are valid, you can use the Data Validation feature on Google Sheets. Here is a step-by-step guide you can follow.

First, open up your Google Sheet.
Select the Data Range you want to check the validation for.
Head over to the menu bar and click on the Data option.
Now, select Data Validation from the list of options.
Select Date and is Valid Date from the drop-down menus in the Criteria section.
In the On invalid data section, check the option for Show Warning.
Finally, click on the Save button to save changes on your spreadsheet.

Now, head back to your dataset. Check to see if there are any red linings in your cells that say if it is an invalid date. If you notice any invalid dates in your range, we suggest changing them right away.

Additionally, we recommend adjusting the text alignment to be the same throughout your dataset range, as this might also affect when sorting out your dates in Google Sheets.

How to Sort By Date In Google Sheets on PC

After checking the data validation of your dataset and making the necessary formatting changes, let us now move on to how we can sort by dates in Google Sheets. Depending on your personal preference, you can use the Sort Function or the Sort Formula on your data range. Let’s look at both of these methods in more detail down below.

Using Sort Function

One of the easiest ways to set and arrange by date is through the sort function. Here, you will only need to highlight the data range and apply the sort by date function. Here are some steps you can follow.

First, open up the Google Sheets you want to edit.
Select the date range you want to sort.
Navigate to the menu bar and click on the Data option.
Here, from the list of options, select Sort Range.
From the drop-down menu, you can either choose to sort through A to Z or Z to A (ascending or descending order.)
Also, if the selected data has a header row, please ensure you check the box for it.
Alternatively, you can also click on the Advanced Range Sortings option and sort the dates.
To apply the changes, click on the Sort button.

You can also access the Sort function by right-clicking or clicking on the drop-down arrow on the row header and selecting your preferred sorting option.

Using Sort Formula

Another alternative method you can apply to sort out your dataset by date is to use the Sort Formula. But, before using this formula, we suggest you make a separate column heading and label it as the Sorted Dates to avoid confusion.

Here is the formula to be used depending upon the sorting options.

For arranging data in ascending order: =SORT(Range, column number, True)
For arranging data in descending order: SORT(Range, column number, False)

If we take an example of number data, your formula should appear like: =SORT(A1:A3,1, True) or =SORT(A1:A3,1, False).

The main advantage of this method is that if you apply any changes to a certain entry, the sorted list would also automatically change. So, you don’t have to bother manually changing each dataset which saves your time and effort.

In some instances, if you want to make changes to the formula cells, you won’t be able to edit it because of the formula and will instead receive the “Value error.” To edit, you will have to convert the data into values. Copy the data range, use the Paste Special option, and select the Values Only option.

How to Sort By Date In Google Sheets on Mobile

For mobile users, you can still use the Sort function through the app version of Google Sheets. However, the steps for sorting might vary to the PC version due to its different interface. So, here are some steps you can follow.

Open up the Google Sheets app from your device.
Navigate to the sheet you want to edit.
Tap on the header column to select all the datasets.
Now, tap on the header column again to open up the menu option.
Tap on the right arrow and continue tapping until you see the Sort options.
For android devices, after tapping the header row twice, click on the three vertical dots to open up the menu settings.
Now, scroll down and select SORT A-Z or SORT Z-A options to arrange your dataset in either ascending or descending options.