How do I display dates on the Horizontal axis of a chart

Question

I am following this steps to display date on the horizontal axis of a chart:

1. Click the chart, and then click the Chart Design tab.
2. Click Add Chart Element, click Axes, and then click More Axis Options. The Format Axis pane appears.
3. For the axis that you want to change, make sure that the axis labels show.
4. Under Axis Type, select Date axis.
5. Under Units, in the Base drop-down list box, select Days, Months, or Years.

When I get to step 4, I can not find "Date axis".

Answer 1

Hi Jim,

Right click on the horizontal axis and choose Format Axis

In the Format Axis pane, click the disclosure triangle for Number, and then change the Category to Date and choose a Type.

Answer 2

As I had pointed in my first reply - The kind of graph you are showing seems to be made on the basis of one column of data, that is why it is showing 1, 2, 3..

Your chart is made on only one column i.e. B. You needed to make chart on columns A and B. Select A1:B10 and then make the chart.

Answer 3

If your chart is an XY Scatter chart, there is no 'Axis type' option. This option is available for Line charts (among others). And it only works if the x-axis values are dates. Month ending 1, 2, 3, … aren't dates.

Answer 4

Date axis will be displayed if the values are recognized as dates in your table in first column. Can you post the screenshot of your data without any confidential / sensitive data?

The kind of graph you are showing seems to be made on the basis of one column of data, that is why it is showing 1, 2, 3..

Answer 5

Attached is a screenshot of the whole spread sheet.  Column B is the vertical axis Column A is the horizontal axis and is in date format.