How to fix date format for X-axis in Excel chart

Scatter charts in Excel have a bug where the date format isn't displayed properly. This is how to resolve it.

[crypto_j]

I searched FOR HOURS for a simple explanation as to why my X axis dates started with a gap of space. Going from scatter plot to line WAS the trick.

10 / 10 and 5 stars for this video + saved in my best-tips folder 💎

[danieldavison]

Wow, I've been sitting at my computer for an eternity trying to figure this out. Thanks

[kwasimojo]

Thank you Albert! I had a slightly different issue of not showing all the months on X-axis though all the graphs individually were set for the entire span of time. The issue was to change Min - Max dates in "Format Axis" which were limited by certain date, that you demonstrated.

[istvanhorvath]

Thx sooo much ! It was so easy ...but I wasted my time with this problem for years ...

[calliehathorn]

Thank you for this video! I have been searching for a while trying to find this exact solution. I never knew you have to chart the chart type to 'line' to get the exact dates to display on the chart. Thanks you!

[oluwatosinmary]

Interesting, stuck on this for hours! Thanks so much.

[veroliao]

Thank you for sharing! However, it seems in some versions of excel no matter what chart type is used, the bounds of axis are still show in numbers rather than date format.

I just figured a simpler way to convert date into the number :
1. Type the date you want in an empty cell in excel and set the format to Date (right click, choose Format Cells and set it to Date)
2. Right click the same cell again and set the format to Text and the number represent the date will show. Then just enter the number to the bounds for the axis then it will show as expected dates for the bounds.

Hope this helps!

[ang]

It didn't work for me, but the other way around did. in conclusion, the new Excel update is stupid, but thank you for helping me figure out a problem that's been bugging for a good half hour

[mutiaroyana]

Thankyou so much, Albets. It works! and help me a lot. Once again, thankyou

[marisawilson]

Thank you so much! You really helped me!

[clevelandaeromotive]

Nope. Selected Line Chart and STILL my dates are all f-ed up. The "Bounds" option isn't even available below Date Axis.

[vincentmarotta]

Great, but what if I want a scatterplot with x axis dates?
I'm noticing when I use "custom" chart type and use two datasets (2 different y axis), it automatically changes the x-axis "dates" to its dataset value (first data point is "1", then second datapoint is "2" etc etc). It's extremely frustrating. There has to be a solution that allows me to utilize scatterplot.

[JM-cpbp]

That’s nice but leaves you with no solution if you need less than entire day resolution. (My data is in minutes.) In that case, scatter plot is your only option if so, right?

[MackMcKenzie]

Can you then go back to a scatter chart? or do you lose the formatting again?

[obibear]

I just want the month as in Feb to Jan and I just can’t select this at all

[KBN]

How will you change back to scatter graph, you are missing out

[jacklandsmeer]

This is unfortunately, not fixing the problem. It is ignoring the problem and taking a different route...