FORMAT dates in SQL Server

FORMAT makes dates look like “31 Oct 2026”. It is easy and it is not cheap. For grouping and filtering, keep a real date or CONVERT to yyyy-mm.

For the email, not the GROUP BY

SELECT FORMAT(order_date, 'dd MMM yyyy') AS nice,
       CONVERT(char(10), order_date, 23) AS iso
FROM Orders;

Group with CONVERT or DATEFROMPARTS, then FORMAT only in the last SELECT if someone insists on “Oct 2026” in the grid. See group by month.