Sorting Issues in MS List

Question

I have a MS list that uses the Date column formatted as a text column to display dates as "MMMM yyyy". However, when grouping by that column now the dates are listed alphabetically instead of in the correct order. Does anyone have a good fix for this?

Answer 1

Dear @Aasen, Anthea

The behavior you’re seeing is expected based on how the column is currently configured. Since the “Month Year” field is formatted as a text value (for example, “March 2026”), Microsoft Lists treats it as a string. As a result, when you group or sort by that column, it orders values alphabetically (e.g., April, February, January) rather than chronologically.

If you prefer to keep the current “MMMM yyyy” display as text, a good workaround is to add an additional column (such as a calculated column) that generates a sortable numeric value. You can then sort the view using this column while still displaying and grouping by the formatted text column.

Step 1: Keep your existing Month Year column

Step 2: Create new Date Column

Create a new Date Column > click + add column > choose Date and Time > Next > Name the column > Save.

Choose "January 2026" and click "Edit" > choose the date 1/1/2026 > Save. You will use this to generate a proper sort of value.

Step 3: Create a helper column for sorting

Go to your list > click + Add column > Scroll down and select "see all column types" > Next > Calculated column > Give it a name (for example: SortKey) > Enter this formula: =YEAR([YourDateColumn])*100 + MONTH([YourDateColumn])

Note: Replace [YourDateColumn] with your actual column name

Set the return type to "Number" > Save the column > This will create values like: January 2026 to 202601 and February 2026 to 202602

Step 4: Update your view sorting

Click All items > Edit current view > Under Sort > First sort by: SortKey > Second sort by: Sortkey > Save the view > Now your items will be sorted in proper chronological order.

Step 5: Keep grouping by your text column

Keep your current setup where you group by the “Month Year” text column (e.g., “March 2026”). Because the list is now sorted using the numeric SortKey, the groups will appear in the correct order.

Optional: In your list view, you can click the Date Column and Sortkey column > Choose column settings > Hide this column

Moreover, I would strongly recommend submitting this as feedback to Microsoft so the product team can consider improving this experience in future updates.

To ensure your feedback reaches the right teams, I highly recommend submitting your feedback directly to Microsoft Ideas · Community, where our product development team can know your requirements and ideas for product improvements. If enough users raise ticket for the same idea, Microsoft may consider adding this feature in the future. 

Note: As Microsoft Community moderators, please note that we are not involved in product design decisions and do not have direct access to the development roadmap, we want to assure you that your feedback has been acknowledged and is valued.  

I hope the information shared is helpful. Thank you for your patience and understanding. I'm looking forward for your reply.

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Answer 2

The behavior occurs because the column used for grouping is of type Text. Text columns are always sorted alphabetically, so values like "February 2026", "January 2026", etc. are ordered as strings instead of by date.

To fix the grouping order, the column used for sorting/grouping must be a real Date and time (or Number) column, not Text:

1. Ensure there is a Date and time column in the list that holds the actual date values.
2. Use that Date and time column as the primary sort/group field in the view.
3. If a "Month Year" display is still needed, keep the existing Text column (or a calculated column) purely for display, but do not use it for sorting or grouping.

SharePoint documentation notes that in a Text column, numbers and dates are sorted as strings (e.g., 1, 10, 100, 2, 20, 200) and that dates should be stored in a Date and time column to sort correctly.

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References:

• List and library column types and options
• Sort a list view in SharePoint