Google Sheets Filter by Date Range: Steps and Tips

Yes. In Google Sheets, select your data, choose Data > Create a filter, then use the date column’s filter menu to set a date condition; for a precise inclusive range, you can also use a custom formula. First make sure the cells contain real date values, not text that only looks like dates.

How date filtering works in Google Sheets

A filter hides rows that do not meet your chosen conditions; it does not delete them or change the values in the sheet. For example, if a table contains order dates in column A, filtering that column to January 2025 leaves the matching orders visible while hiding other months. Clearing the filter brings the hidden rows back.

Google Sheets stores actual dates as numeric values and displays them according to a date format. That is why filtering can compare dates chronologically even when the displayed style varies, such as 1/15/2025 or Jan 15, 2025. Text that resembles a date is different: Sheets may not recognize it as a date, so date conditions can behave unexpectedly.

Filters apply to a selected data range, usually including its header row. The header gives each column a filter menu, and the menu on the date column controls which records remain visible. Avoid selecting only the date column when the rows contain related information: filtering the complete table keeps each date attached to its corresponding name, amount, or status.

Prepare the data before filtering

Before creating a filter, check that the dates are in one column and that the table has a single header row. Remove merged cells from the table area, and avoid blank rows or columns that split the dataset into separate blocks. These details help Sheets identify the range and keep each record together.

Use one date column for the dates you want to compare, and give it a clear header such as Order date.
Keep each record on one row. Do not put a second header halfway through the data.
Check that dates are recognized as dates. Changing the display with Format > Number > Date can help display valid date values consistently, but formatting text as a date does not always convert it.
Consider making a copy or checking a few rows before converting imported data, especially if the source uses a different day-and-month order.

Regional settings matter when dates are entered as text or interpreted from pasted data. For instance, 03/04/2025 can mean March 4 or April 3 depending on the convention. When a date is ambiguous, use a clear format such as 2025-03-04 when entering or importing it, then verify that Sheets recognizes it as a date.

Apply a date range with the filter menu

For a one-time check, the built-in filter is usually the quickest method. In a browser, follow these steps:

Click a cell inside the table. If Sheets has not identified the full table, select the complete data range, including the headers.
Choose Data > Create a filter. Filter controls appear in the header row.
Click the filter control in the date column.
Open Filter by condition, then choose a date condition that fits the task, such as dates before or after a chosen date. If the menu offers a between condition, set both endpoints there.
Enter or select the relevant date values and confirm the condition. Check the visible rows to make sure the endpoints and the dates shown match your intention.

For example, to find records from January 1 through January 31, 2025, use a between condition with those two dates if it is available in the menu. If the menu only offers before and after conditions, or if you need to control whether an endpoint is included, use a custom formula as described below. Menu labels and available date conditions can vary with the filter context, so the custom formula is a dependable alternative for a clearly defined range.

To remove the criteria without deleting data, open the date column’s filter menu and clear or reset its condition. To remove the filter controls themselves, choose Data > Remove filter. Clearing a condition and removing a filter are different: the first keeps filtering available, while the second removes the filter controls from the range.

Use a custom formula for exact endpoints

A custom formula is useful when you need an exact start and end date, especially if the date cells can include times. Suppose headers are in row 1, dates are in A2:A, and the filter range begins at A1. In the date column’s menu, choose Filter by condition > Custom formula is, then use:

=AND($A2>=DATE(2025,1,1),$A2<DATE(2025,2,1))

This keeps dates from January 1, 2025, up to but not including February 1, 2025. In effect, it includes every date in January. The less-than test for February 1 is intentional: if a cell contains a timestamp such as January 31 at 4:00 p.m., comparing it to a date-only January 31 endpoint can exclude that row. Using the next month as an exclusive limit includes all times on January 31.

The dollar sign locks the column reference while the row number remains relative to the first data row. If your dates are in column C and data starts on row 3, change the reference to $C3. The formula assumes actual date values in that column and a filter range whose first data row is the row referenced. If the range starts elsewhere, adjust the row reference accordingly.

Choose between a standard filter and a filter view

A standard filter is convenient when you are working alone or when collaborators are comfortable sharing the same filtered view. Its settings affect the displayed data for people using that sheet, which can make it confusing if several editors need different date ranges at once.

For separate saved views, use a filter view. Choose Data > Filter views > Create new filter view, then set the date condition using the filter controls. Give the view a useful name, such as January orders, so it is easier to find later. A filter view lets a person inspect a subset without imposing the same active filter on everyone else. It is a good choice for a shared tracking sheet where one person needs this month’s records and another needs a different period.

Neither option creates a separate copy of the records. A filter only changes which rows are shown. If someone needs an independent list to edit or send elsewhere, copy the matching rows to another sheet or use a formula-based approach in a separate area, taking care not to treat a filtered view as a backup.

Filter changing or rolling date ranges

A fixed range, such as January 1 to January 31, is appropriate for reviewing a completed month. For an ongoing task, such as looking at recent records, a relative date condition may be more practical when the menu provides one. Relative choices can express periods such as today or the past week, and they update as time moves forward; a fixed pair of dates does not.

Decide whether the task calls for calendar dates or a rolling number of days. “This month” usually means the current calendar month, while “the last 30 days” means a moving span that can cross a month boundary. These are not interchangeable. If a report must be repeatable, write down the exact start and end dates or name the filter view with the period it represents.

For recurring reporting, also consider how the sheet handles newly added records. A filter range that stops at a fixed last row may not include later additions. Including the full relevant columns or updating the range as data grows can prevent new dates from being left out. Keep headers out of the conditions themselves, and verify the first and last visible records after extending a dataset.

Common date-filter problems and fixes

No rows appear: Check whether the dates are text, whether the year is correct, and whether both range endpoints make sense. Temporarily clear other column filters to see if a second condition is excluding the records.
Some dates are missing: Look for timestamps, inconsistent imported values, or a range that ends before the newest rows. A custom formula with an exclusive next-day or next-month limit can handle times at the end of a period.
Dates sort alphabetically or behave inconsistently: The column may contain text values mixed with real dates. Inspect a few cells and convert the text carefully; do not assume that applying a date display format has converted the underlying values.
The wrong date appears to match: Check the spreadsheet’s locale and whether an imported date was interpreted as month/day or day/month. Confirm the displayed date and the underlying value before relying on a report.
Rows no longer line up: Apply the filter to the full table, not just one column. A filter on the complete range hides entire records together rather than showing dates detached from their related data.

When diagnosing a filter, clear the date condition and test a small known set of records with easily verified dates. Then reapply the condition and add other filters one at a time. This makes it easier to tell whether the issue comes from the dates, the selected range, or an additional condition on another column.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Google Sheets filter between two dates?
Yes. Use a between condition in the date column’s filter menu when available, or choose Custom formula is for explicit endpoints. A formula using a start date and an exclusive date after the range is especially useful when cells may include times.

Does filtering delete rows that are outside the range?
No. Filtering hides rows that do not meet the condition. Clear the condition or remove the filter to show them again; deleting rows is a separate action.

Why does my date filter show no results?
The values may be text rather than real dates, the date range may be incorrect, or another active filter may also be excluding rows. Check a few cells, verify the locale, and clear other conditions temporarily.

Can I filter by month without choosing every date?
Often, yes. Use a date condition for the month if the menu supports it, or set the first day of the month as the lower limit and the first day of the following month as an exclusive upper limit. This also covers timestamps within the final day.

Will a filter view change what collaborators see?
A filter view is designed to let people work with their own filtered view rather than changing the shared standard filter for everyone. Use it when collaborators need different date ranges, and use a regular filter for a quick shared view.

Try it: the Date Difference Calculator: days, months, years and weekdays between two dates, with the DATEDIF formulas.

More in How-to basics

Sources: Function behaviour and menu paths: Microsoft Support documentation for Excel. Method & sources

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