Easy Tech TutsHow to Sort Months in Order in Power BI (Fix Alphabetical Sorting) Easily 2026
By Impran M N
It's a familiar frustration: your months show up as April, August, December instead of January through December. This guide explains why Power BI defaults to alphabetical sorting and how to fix it so your data tells the right story. It's a quick fix that matters a lot for anyone building reports that track trends over time.
01Understand the sorting issue
Power BI sorts text fields alphabetically by default, and since month names are text, that's why 'April' can end up before 'January' in a chart.
02Add a numeric month column
Create a helper column that holds the numeric month value, such as 1 for January through 12 for December, alongside your existing month name field.
03Use Sort by Column
Select the month name column, open the Sort by Column option in the Modeling tab, and set it to sort by your new numeric month column instead.
04Confirm the impact on your visuals
Check any charts or tables using the month field to make sure they now display in proper chronological order after the sort setting is applied.
05Apply the same approach elsewhere
Use the same Sort by Column technique for other text fields with a natural order, like day of week or quarter labels, if they show the same issue.
Frequently asked questions
Why do my months sort alphabetically in Power BI by default?
Power BI treats month names as plain text unless told otherwise, and text fields sort alphabetically rather than by any inherent calendar order.
Do I need a separate date table to fix month sorting?
Not necessarily; a simple numeric helper column tied to the month name field is often enough, though a full date table offers more flexibility for other date-based needs.
Will fixing the sort order affect existing visuals automatically?
Yes, once you set Sort by Column on the field, every visual using that field updates to reflect the new sort order without additional changes.
Can I sort days of the week the same way?
Yes, the same Sort by Column technique works for days of the week or any other text category that has a logical, non-alphabetical order.
Watch the full walkthrough
The same steps, demonstrated on screen from start to finish.
