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How to Create a Microsoft Access Query for Seasonal Products Available This Month

Maira Mehtab Sep 22, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to construct a Microsoft Access query to identify which seasonal products are available during the current calendar month.

Product: Microsoft Access
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Filtering a product database to dynamically display items that are in season for the ongoing month.
Observed behavior: The database requires an SQL query setup that checks the current month against a dedicated table of product availability.

Before you start

Verify the exact table and field names in your Access database, as mismatched names will cause SQL query syntax errors.

Solution 1Recommended

Create a Related Availability Table and Execute an INNER JOIN Query

Set up a dedicated table for product availability months and use an INNER JOIN SQL query to automatically filter records by the current system month.

To properly query seasonal items, you must normalize your database by creating a separate table that stores the months each product is available. This prevents data duplication and makes SQL queries much simpler.

Create the MonthsAvailable Table

In Access, create a new table named MonthsAvailable with two fields: ProductID and MonthAvailable (configured to store numbers 1 through 12 representing the months).

Link Tables via Relationships

Go to Database Tools > Relationships and drag the ProductID field from your main Products table to the ProductID field in your new MonthsAvailable table to enforce referential integrity.

Open SQL View

Navigate to Create > Query Design. Close the table dialog without adding anything, then right-click the query tab and select SQL View.

Enter the SQL Query

Type the following SQL code exactly: SELECT Products.* FROM Products INNER JOIN MonthsAvailable ON Products.ProductID = MonthsAvailable.ProductID WHERE MonthAvailable = Month(Date());

Run the Query

Click the Run button (red exclamation mark) in the Query Design ribbon to view the filtered list of products available in the current month.

Including Non-Seasonal Products: If you also want to display year-round (non-seasonal) products alongside the seasonal ones, change INNER JOIN to LEFT JOIN and update your WHERE clause to: WHERE MonthAvailable = Month(Date()) OR MonthAvailable IS NULL;

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Track Seasonal Inventory Easily with WPS Spreadsheet

While Microsoft Access is powerful for complex databases, many seasonal product tracking tasks can be managed much more easily in a spreadsheet. WPS Office provides a powerful, free alternative to Microsoft Office, giving you an intuitive interface to filter and track seasonal data without needing to write SQL code.

1. Download and Install: Download WPS Office for free and launch the WPS Spreadsheet application.
2. Import Your Data: Export your Access product table to an Excel file, then open it in WPS Spreadsheet.
3. Apply Data Filters: Select your column headers, go to the Data tab, and click Filter to easily check the boxes for products available in the current month.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) formats for easy data migration.Free, lightweight, and fast alternative to the Microsoft Office suite.Intuitive built-in data filtering tools to instantly sort products by availability month.No SQL knowledge required to manage your seasonal product catalog.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How does the Month(Date()) function work in Microsoft Access?

The Date() function retrieves the current system date from your computer. The Month() function then extracts just the month portion as a number (1-12). Together, they allow your query to dynamically update based on the current calendar month without manual changes.

What is the difference between INNER JOIN and LEFT JOIN in this query?

An INNER JOIN strictly returns only products that have a matching month listed in the MonthsAvailable table. A LEFT JOIN returns all products from your primary table regardless of whether they have a matching record in the related table, which is useful for showing non-seasonal items.

Can I build this query without writing SQL code directly?

Yes. In the Access Query Design Grid, you can add both tables, draw a line connecting their ProductID fields, add the fields you want to view, and simply type =Month(Date()) into the Criteria row under the MonthAvailable column.

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