Have you ever spent hours sorting and filtering data in Google Sheets, only to have new data added out of order? It can be frustrating and time-consuming to manually organize your data every time. Luckily, there are two solutions that can save you time and effort: the SORT function and the StaySorted extension.
The SORT Function
The SORT function is a built-in feature in Google Sheets that allows you to sort data without using menus. It takes a range of cells as input and generates a new sorted table. You can specify whether the data should be sorted alphabetically or numerically, and even sort by multiple columns.
To use the SORT function, simply select the desired range of cells as input. For example, if you want to sort a range of cells from B1 to C3, you can use the following formula:
=SORT(B1:C3, 2, FALSE)This formula tells Google Sheets to sort the data in the range B1:C3 based on the second column, in descending order. If you want to sort the data in ascending order, simply replace FALSE with TRUE.
While the SORT function is a powerful tool for sorting data in Google Sheets, it does have some limitations. For example, it can be difficult to remember the exact syntax of the function. More importantly, you end up with two tables of data: the source table and the output of the SORT function. This can be confusing because you have two tables with the same data.
The StaySorted Extension
This is where the StaySorted extension comes in. This extension automatically sorts data in Google Sheets every time a change is made to the selected range, without creating another table. This means that you can set up the extension once and never worry about sorting your data again.
To use StaySorted, you first need to install it from the Google Workspace Marketplace. Once installed, click on the “StaySorted” icon in the Google Sheets sidebar. If you don’t see the icon, click on “Show sidebar” in the bottom right corner of your Google sheet. Expand your sidebar and click on the “StaySorted” icon.
From there, you can select the column you want to sort, when to trigger the sorting, and other options.
After clicking “SAVE AND SORT,” you’ll never need to manually sort your spreadsheet again.
YouTube Video on Automatic Sorting
For those who prefer learning through videos, you can also check out this YouTube video on automatic sorting in Google Sheets.
Conclusion
To sum it up, the SORT function and the StaySorted extension are excellent tools for sorting data in Google Sheets. While the SORT function does not require an extension, StaySorted is simpler and avoids duplicating your data. Depending on your needs, either of these tools can be useful for automatically sorting data in Google Sheets.
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