How to Change Date Format in an Excel Chart

To change date labels in an Excel chart, right-click the date axis, choose Format Axis, then use the Number section to select a date format or enter a custom format code. This changes how dates appear on the chart, not the dates in your worksheet. The steps below are for Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows; the same basic formatting controls are available in desktop Excel for Mac.

What You’ll Need

An Excel workbook with a chart that uses dates, plus the worksheet data that feeds it.
Real Excel date values in the source data. Dates that are stored as text may not behave like dates on a chart axis.
Excel for Microsoft 365 desktop for the fullest range of axis and custom number-format controls. Excel for the web may have fewer chart-formatting options.

Step-by-Step

Check what the chart is using for its dates. Find the date column or row that supplies the chart labels. Click a source date cell and look at the formula bar: a recognized Excel date is stored as a number, even though it is displayed as a date. You can also temporarily choose Home > Number Format and select General; a genuine date will usually appear as a serial number. Restore the original format afterward. If the values remain text, see Troubleshooting before changing the chart.
Select the chart’s date axis. Click the chart once, then click the date labels along the horizontal or vertical axis. Make sure the axis labels—not the chart area, plot area, or data series—are selected. A selection outline or axis handles should appear. If the chart has dates on the vertical axis, select that axis instead.
Open the axis formatting pane. Right-click the selected axis and choose Format Axis. The Format Axis pane opens on the right. On a Windows touchpad, use a two-finger click if that is your right-click gesture. If you cannot select the labels directly, click the chart, go to Format > Current Selection, choose the horizontal or vertical axis from the list, and then select Format Selection.
Check the axis type when appropriate. In the pane, open Axis Options. For a chart with a date-based category axis, check whether Axis Type is set to Date axis. Choose it if Excel is treating each date as a text category and you want dates spaced according to time. A date axis can change spacing and tick placement, so it may not be right when every category should be spaced evenly. This setting is not offered for every chart type; scatter charts use a value axis instead.
Choose a built-in date display. In the Format Axis pane, expand Number. If needed, clear Linked to source so the axis can use a format different from the worksheet cells. Open the Category list and choose Date, then select a suitable date format from the available list. Examples include a short numeric date or a month-and-year label. The preview and chart labels should update as you choose a format.
Enter a custom format if the built-in choices do not fit. In the same Number section, choose Custom if available, click the format-code box, and type a code such as dd-mmm-yyyy, mmm-yy, or d-mmm. Select Add to apply the code. Use dd/mm/yyyy for a day/month/year display or mm/dd/yyyy for a month/day/year display; those two are easy to confuse. The exact date order users see can also depend on regional settings.
Check the result at the chart’s actual size. Click outside the pane and inspect several labels, including the first and last dates. If labels overlap, make the chart wider, reduce the font size, or change the axis label interval rather than choosing an unreadably small date format. If the labels still look unchanged, check whether Linked to source is on and whether the axis is actually selected.
Format date values shown as data labels separately. If the dates appear beside data points rather than along an axis, select a data label, right-click, and choose Format Data Labels. In its pane, expand Number and choose a date format or enter a custom code. Axis number formatting does not automatically reformat data labels. If the chart has no date axis, this is often the control you need.

In Excel for Mac, select the axis, Control-click or right-click it, and choose Format Axis; use the Number controls in the formatting pane to choose a date or custom format. Names and pane placement can vary slightly by release. Excel for the web supports basic chart editing, but if you cannot find the date category or custom-code controls, choose Open in Desktop App and make the change there.

Common Mistakes

Changing the worksheet cells and expecting the chart to follow. Chart axes can have their own number format. Formatting the source dates is useful, but it may not change the chart labels, especially when the axis is not linked to the source. Format the axis itself when the chart needs a different display.

Using text that only looks like a date. An entry such as 03/04/2026 can be interpreted as text, or as a different day and month order, depending on how it was entered and the computer’s regional settings. A custom chart format cannot turn text into a real date. Convert or re-enter the source values as dates first, and verify that the displayed day and month are correct.

Choosing Date axis without considering spacing. A date axis places points according to elapsed time. If a series has gaps or irregular dates, that can make the chart look different from a text-category axis, which spaces each label evenly. Choose the axis type based on whether time spacing or equal category spacing matters more.

Confusing month and minute codes. In date formats, m usually means month, but in a time context it can mean minutes. A code such as mmm-yy clearly indicates a month and year. Avoid adding time tokens unless you actually need to display time.

Applying a long format to every tick label. A format such as dddd, mmmm d, yyyy may be accurate but take too much room. Excel can overlap or omit labels when the chart is small. Use a compact format and adjust the label interval if readers do not need every date displayed.

Tips

Choose a date style that suits the chart’s purpose: mmm-yy is compact for a long monthly trend, while dd-mmm can work for a short daily range. Include the year when the chart spans more than one year.
Use unambiguous labels for audiences in different regions. A format such as 7-Mar-2026 is less likely to be read as July 3 or March 7 than a slash-separated date.
To show fewer labels, use Axis Options to adjust the interval between labels or major units where those controls are available. This affects how many dates are shown; it does not change the underlying date values.
If several charts should match, note the exact custom code and apply it to each chart axis. Copying chart formatting can also carry other chart styles with it, so check colors, scales, and titles afterward.
Keep the source data as actual dates and apply display formatting only where needed. That preserves the ability to sort, filter, calculate with, and chart the dates correctly.

Troubleshooting

The Number section does not show date formats: Confirm that you selected an axis, not the chart area or a data series. For a scatter chart, select the horizontal or vertical value axis; then use its number format controls. If the selected chart element is a data label, use Format Data Labels instead.

The format code is ignored or the labels do not change: Check that the source values are real dates and that Linked to source is cleared if you want a separate axis format. For a text-category axis, changing the axis type to Date axis may help, if the chart supports it. If Excel still treats the labels as text, convert the source column to dates and update or refresh the chart.

Dates appear as numbers such as 46000: Those are likely Excel date serial values being shown with a General or numeric format. Select the chart axis, open Format Axis > Number, and choose Date or apply a date code. If the value is not a valid date serial, correct the source data as well.

The displayed day and month are reversed: Check both the source-cell interpretation and the format code. For example, dd/mm/yyyy and mm/dd/yyyy display the same date value in different orders. If the underlying date was entered incorrectly, changing the display format alone will not fix it.

Labels overlap or disappear: Increase the chart width, reduce the label font, choose a shorter code such as mmm-yy, or display labels at a wider interval. If you need all dates visible, consider a larger chart or a table alongside it instead of forcing long labels into a narrow axis.

Custom formatting is unavailable in the browser: Save the workbook, then open it in desktop Excel for Windows or Mac and use the Format Axis pane. Avoid making structural changes in a different application if you need to preserve Excel-specific chart behavior.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does changing the chart date format change my worksheet dates?
No. Formatting the chart axis changes only how its date labels are displayed. The source dates remain the same unless you edit the worksheet cells themselves.

Can I show only month and year on the axis?
Yes. Select the axis, open Format Axis > Number, and use a built-in month/year format or a custom code such as mmm-yy. If the chart covers multiple years, include the year so repeated month names are clear.

Why does my chart show every date even after I format the axis?
Number formatting changes the appearance of labels, not necessarily how many labels appear. Use the label interval or major-unit controls under Axis Options, where available, or make the chart wider.

Can I format dates on a scatter chart?
Yes. A scatter chart uses a numeric value axis, and Excel stores dates as serial numbers. Select the relevant axis and apply a date number format in the Format Axis pane. Check that the plotted values are valid dates.

How do I format dates next to the points instead of on the axis?
Select the data labels and choose Format Data Labels, then change the Number format there. If the labels show a category name rather than a date value, check the label options and the chart’s source data.

Will the format look the same on every computer?
Custom codes are generally consistent, but regional settings can affect date order and how separators appear. For readers in multiple regions, use an unambiguous style such as dd-mmm-yyyy and verify it on the computers or export formats your audience uses.

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