How to Sort Data in Google Sheets: Built-in Function & Keyboard Shortcuts

The sorting feature is one the most important feature which any user would like to use in Google Sheets. We can sort any dataset in alphabetical order, ascending/descending number-wise, or also use comparing operators to sort the data.

Let’s understand how to sort any given dataset along with few Google Sheets tips. Read on to find out more.

Table of Contents

Using In-built Functions to Sort Data

Let’s understand how to sort data using the In-built function with the help of the following data set.

How to Sort Data in Alphabetical Order?

Follow the steps listed below to sort data in Alphabetical order.

  • Step 1: Select the cell range where you would like to sort.
  • Step 2: Now right-click anywhere in the cell selection.
  • Step 3: Choose Sort Range here.

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  • Step 4: Now Sort Range dialog box will open.
  • Step 5: Now tick the checkbox named “Data has header row“.
  • Step 6: Choose the column that you wish to sort. It’s column 1 in this situation. In order to sort column 2, click on the sort by and select the name of the column.

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  • Step 7: Now click on the “Sort” button.

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The selected row will be sorted.

Here we will have two options A->Z and Z->A. Based on your sorting wish, tick the checkbox, and the selected cells will be sorted.

Multilevel Sorting in Google Sheets

We can also apply multilevel sort in Google Sheets. For this follow the steps listed below for multilevel sorting:

  • Step 1: Select the cell which needs to be sorted.
  • Step 2: Right-click anywhere on the selected cell and choose “Sort range“.
  • Step 3: Now the Sort Range dialog box will appear on the screen. Click on the checkbox named “Data has header row“.

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  • Step 4: Make sure you are selecting the column which needs to be sorted first. Under the Sort by option, select the column which needs to be sorted.
  • Step 5: Now click on the “Add another sort column” and select the second column which needs to be sorted.
  • Step 6: Click on the “Sort” icon and the selected cell will be sorted.

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Now the above function will sort the first selected column first and the second column last.

If you wish to leave the original data intact, make a copy first, then sort the copied data.

Sort Data in Google Sheets using the Sort Function

We can also sort the data in the Google Sheets with the help of the Sort function in Google Sheets. Follow the steps listed below to sort the data in Google Sheets using Sort Function.

  • Step 1: Move to the cell where you would like to Sort the data. Here we are choosing the “C2” cell.
  • Step 2: Now type the formula as “ =SORT(A2:B11,1,TRUE) “.
  • Step 3: Press the “Enter” button. You will see the results.

As soon as you enter this formula and press enter, you will be provided with a sorted data range (as seen below):

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In the formula, the SORT function accepts three arguments:

  • The range that needs to be sorted (A2:B11)
  • The column will be used to sort the data. Here we are using Column 1.
  • It sorts in ascending order if this argument is TRUE. The option will be either ascending or descending based on the option chosen.

It’s important to note that you can sort multiple columns. In this case, you must provide the column number as well as the sorting order.

Before you utilize the SORT function in Google Sheets, there are a few things you should know:

  • A portion of the outcome cannot be removed. If you have to get rid of it, you’ll have to get rid of the entire SORT result.
  • The SORT function will return an error if there are any filled cells in the range that it will sort.

Google Sheets Built-in Function to Sort Data

The built-in sort function is the new feature which is recently added to Google Sheets. With just a few clicks we can easily sort the data in Google Sheets. The steps to sort data in Google Sheets using built-in function are given below:

  • Step 1: Select the cell where you would like the sort the data.
  • Step 2: Now click on the “Data” from the menubar.
  • Step 3: Choose “Sort Sheet by Column A->Z” to sort the data in ascending order. If not choose “Sort Sheet by Column Z->A” to sort the data in descending order.
  • Step 4: Based on the selection, the data will be sorted.

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How to Sort Data in Google Sheets by Date?

We can also sort the data in Google sheets by date or numbers. The steps to sort any dataset using range or date are explained below:

  • Step 1: Select the cell where you want the data to be sorted.
  • Step 2: Now, from the menubar, select “Data.”
  • Step 3: To sort the data in ascending order, select “Sort range by Column A->Z.” If not, sort the data in descending order by selecting “Sort range by Column Z->A.”
  • Step 4: The data will be sorted based on the selection.

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