Add a Timeline in Microsoft Excel to Filter Pivot Tables by Date

Easily Insert an Excel Timeline to Filter Pivot Table Data

by Avantix Learning Team | Updated April 8, 2021

Applies to: Microsoft^® Excel^® 2013, 2016, 2091 and 365 (Windows)

Starting in Microsoft Excel 2013, you can filter pivot tables by date periods using a timeline tool. You can combine timelines with slicers to filter in different ways and you can also zoom in on specific date periods. In order to add a timeline, you must have a date field in the source data with valid dates.

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When you click in a pivot table, an Insert Timeline button appears in the Ribbon on the PivotTable Tools Analyze or PivotTable Analyze tab in the Filter group:

Insert a timeline

To insert a timeline:

Select a cell in a pivot table.
Click the PivotTable Tools Analyze or PivotTable Analyze tab in the Ribbon.
Select Insert Timeline. A dialog box appears.
Select the check boxes of the date fields you want to use and click OK.

Once you've added a timeline, you can apply date filters at four levels:

Years
Quarters
Months
Days

Use a timeline to filter by a date period

To filter by a specific date period:

Select a cell in a pivot table.
In the Timeline dialog box, click the arrow next to the date interval (years, quarters, months or days) and select the desired period.
Drag the timeline scroll bar at the bottom of the dialog box to the time period you want to analyze.
In the timespan control, click a period tile and/or drag to include additional tiles to select the date range you want. Drag the timespan handles (dotted lines) to adjust the date range on either side.

Clear filters in a timeline

To clear filters in a timeline:

Select a cell in a pivot table.
In the Timeline dialog box, click the Clear Filter button.

Use timelines and slicers

To combine slicers with a timeline to filter the same date field:

Select a cell in a pivot table.
Select the PivotTable Tools Analyze or PivotTable Analyze tab in the Ribbon.
Click Options. A dialog box appears.
Click the Totals & Filters tab.
Select the checkbox to Allow multiple filters per field.
Click OK.

Move a timeline

To move a timeline, drag it by its title bar to the location you want.

Customize timeline appearance

To change the size of the timeline, drag the corner sizing handles to the size you want.

To change the style of the timeline, click it to display the Timeline Tools Options tab in the Ribbon and then select the style you want.

Timelines are a great new tool for filtering pivot tables by date.

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How to Add a Timeline in Microsoft Excel to Filter Pivot Tables by Date