How to Sort and Filter Milestones by Date in Microsoft Project
Question details
The user needs to sort project milestones chronologically by finish date and filter the timeline to show only specific months.
- Product
- Microsoft Project
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Organizing project reports and views to isolate and review specific monthly milestones.
- Observed behavior
- Milestones appear out of chronological order in reports, and standard filters fail to effectively isolate the desired date ranges.
Verify whether you are using the built-in Milestone Report or a standard Gantt Chart view, as sorting options may be located in different menus depending on your active view.
Apply a Date Range Filter and Sort by Finish Date
Use Microsoft Project's built-in column sorting and custom Date Range filters to organize your milestones chronologically within a precise timeframe.
This method works best in a Gantt Chart or Task Sheet view, allowing you to pinpoint exact start and end dates for the months you wish to review.
Navigate to the 'View' tab on the ribbon and select 'Gantt Chart' or 'Task Sheet' to display your project data in a table format.
Locate the 'Finish' column header. Click the drop-down arrow next to it and select 'Sort Oldest to Newest' to arrange the tasks and milestones chronologically.
Go to the 'View' tab, find the 'Data' group, and click on the 'Filter' drop-down menu. Choose 'More Filters' from the list.
In the More Filters dialog box, select 'Date Range...' and click the 'Apply' button.
When prompted, enter the start date of the first month (e.g., January 1) and the end date of the final month (e.g., February 28), then click 'OK' to apply the filter.
Track Projects and Milestones Efficiently with WPS Office
While Microsoft Project is a specialized tool, many professionals prefer managing timelines and milestones using flexible spreadsheets. WPS Office provides a free, lightweight, and highly compatible alternative to Microsoft Office, allowing you to create custom Gantt charts and track project milestones using WPS Spreadsheet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my milestones not sorting correctly in the Milestone Report?
Visual reports in Microsoft Project often inherit sorting from underlying data or group structures. Click on the specific table inside your Milestone Report, navigate to the Report Tools Design tab, and ensure the specific table data is explicitly set to sort by 'Finish Date' rather than 'Start Date' or 'Task ID'.
How can I filter my project to only show milestones?
In the View tab under the Data group, click the Filter drop-down and simply select 'Milestones'. This will immediately hide all standard tasks and display only tasks with a duration of zero days (or marked as milestones).
Can I save a custom monthly filter to use later?
Yes. When opening the 'More Filters' dialog, click 'New' to create a custom filter. Define the criteria (e.g., Finish Date is within a prompted range, and Milestone equals Yes). Name your filter and save it, so it appears permanently in your quick filter dropdown list for future reporting.
