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How to change date format in axis of chart/Pivotchart in Excel?

Author: Kelly Last Modified: 2024-08-30

In general, the dates in the axis of chart or Pivot Chart are shown as "2014-02-15". In some cases it may require to ignore the Year in the dates such as "2/15", or only keep the Month in the dates like "Feb", do you have any idea to get it done? This article has provided two methods to change date format in axis of chart or Pivot Chart in Excel.


Change date format in axis of Pivot Chart in Excel

Supposing you have created a Pivot Chart as below screen shot shown, and you can change the date format in the axis of this Pivot Chart as follows:
sample Pivot Chart

1. In the Pivot Chart, right click the Date filed button and select Field Settings from right-clicking menu.

 select Field Settings from right-clicking menu select Filed Settings in PivotTable Field List pane of Excel 2007

Note: In Excel 2007, you can't find out the field button in the Pivot chart, but you can click the Date Filed in the Axis Fields (Categories) section of PivotTable Field List pane and select Filed Settings from drop down list (See below screen shot). And this method also works well in Excel 2010 and 2013. See screenshots above.

2. In the coming Field Settings dialog box, click the Number Format button.
click the Number Format button in the dialog box

3. Now you get into the Format Cells dialog box, click to highlight Custom in the Category box, and then type the format code into the Type box, and click the OK button. (Note: If you want to show 2014-01-03 as 1/3, type m/d into the Type box; if you want to show 2014-01-03 as Jan, type mmm into the Type box.)
set options in the Format Cells dialog box

4. Click the OK button in Field Settings dialog box. Then you will see the dates in the axis of Pivot Chart are changed to specified format at once. See below screen shots:

pivot chart with specific date format specified date format of pivot chart

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Change date format in axis of chart in Excel

For example there is a chart as below screen shot shown, and to change the date format in axis of normal chart in Excel, you can do as follows:
sample chart

1. Right click the axis you will change data format, and select Format Axis from right-clicking menu.
select Format Axis from right-clicking menu

2. Go ahead based on your Microsoft Excel version:
(1) In Excel 2013's Format Axis pane, expand the Number group on the Axis Options tab, enter m/d or mmm or others into the Format Code box and click the Add button.
(2) In Excel 2007 and 2010's Format Axis dialog box, click Number in left bar, type m/d or mmm or other codes into the Format Code box, and click the Add button.

Excel 2013 and higher versions:
set options in the Format Axis pane of Excel 2013 and higher versions
Excel 2007 and 2010:
set options in the Format Axis  dialog box of Excel 2007 and 2010

Note: If you enter m/d into the Format Code box, the dates in selected axis will be changed to the format of 1/1, 2/1,…; if you enter mmm into the Format Code box,  the dates in axis will be changed to the format of Jan, Feb, ….

3. Close the Format Axis pane/dialog box. Then you will see the dates in the chart axis are changed to the specific format at once.

chart with specific date format chart with specific date format


Demo: Change date format in axis of chart or Pivotchart in Excel

 

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