Do you find yourself scrolling through countless rows of data in Google Sheets, getting a headache in the process? Fret not, my dear friend, for Google Sheets has a plethora of built-in features to help you find the information you need. One such feature is the sorting function. With it, you can quickly rearrange data alphabetically, by date, or in numerical order. Let me show you how to sort in Google Sheets!
The Different Types of Sorting
Google Sheets offers two basic sorting options:
Sheet Sorting
Sheet sorting organizes all the data in your sheet based on a specific column while keeping associated information on each row. For example, let’s say you apply sheet sorting in ascending alphabetical order to column B. Notice how the movie titles are listed in alphabetical order along with their ranking, opening weekend revenue, and release date.
Range Sorting
Range sorting only organizes the selected range of cells without modifying the rest of the sheet. In the example below, you can see how the movie titles in column B are sorted alphabetically, while the other information—ranking, opening numbers, and release date—remain in their original cells.
And here’s an important tidbit: let’s say you highlight two columns and apply sheet or range sorting. By default, Google Sheets will organize everything based on the data in the leftmost column of your selection.
In the example below, there’s a new column with actor names next to the “Film” column. When I sort the sheet in alphabetical order based on the cell range B3 to C12 (movie titles and actor names), Google Sheets organizes the information based on the movie titles, not the actors’ names.
Now, let’s dive into the steps to sort in Google Sheets.
How to Sort Alphabetically in Google Sheets
Since you’re most likely organizing data throughout your entire spreadsheet, rather than just a range of cells, here’s the simplest method to sort your spreadsheet alphabetically.
For this demonstration, let’s say I want Google Sheets to rearrange my spreadsheet based on movie titles in ascending alphabetical order.
- Open your spreadsheet.
- If your spreadsheet includes a header row or column titles, freeze those rows. This way, Google Sheets won’t consider them when reorganizing.
- Highlight the range of cells you want to sort.
- Click Data, then select Sort Sheet. If you only want to sort a specific range of cells, click Sort Range instead.
- Select Sort sheet by [selected column] (A to Z) or Sort sheet by [selected column] (Z to A).
And voila! Your data is now sorted alphabetically.
How to Sort by Date in Google Sheets
Sorting by date in Google Sheets may not be the most obvious, but I assure you, it’s a piece of cake.
Follow the same steps as above, but click Sort sheet by [selected column] (A to Z) to organize your dates from oldest to newest (as shown in the example below). Click Sort sheet by [selected column] (Z to A) to sort from newest to oldest.
The same concept applies if you want to organize data by numerical value. “A” is considered the lowest number, while “Z” is the highest.
How to Sort by Multiple Columns in Google Sheets
Now that we’ve covered the basics, it’s time to delve into more advanced sorting options.
Let’s say several movies in our Marvel spreadsheet have the same release date. Now, I want to list the movies from newest to oldest, and if some movies share the same release date, I want them listed from highest to lowest in terms of opening weekend revenue.
Here’s how to sort by multiple columns in Google Sheets.
- Highlight your range of cells, including the column headers.
- Click Data > Sort Range > Advanced sorting options.
- Check the box that says Range has a header row. This allows you to sort your data without having to freeze the header rows beforehand. It also automatically populates the column headers you can choose from in the Sort by dropdown menu in the next step.
- Click the dropdown menu next to Sort by, then select the first column you want to sort. In this scenario, it’s Release Date. Next, select the order in which you want the data displayed: A to Z or Z to A.
- Click Add another sort column.
- Click the dropdown menu next to Then by, and select the next column you want to sort. In this scenario, it’s Opening Weekend Revenue. Again, choose the order in which you want the data displayed.
- Click Sort.
And voila! Your data is now sorted based on multiple columns.
Automate Google Sheets
Google Sheets is an excellent application for storing and understanding data, provided you can keep feeding the data you need into your spreadsheets in the first place.
With Crawlan.com, you can connect Google Sheets to your other applications, enabling you to automatically perform actions such as adding form responses to your spreadsheet or syncing your data between different spreadsheet apps. Find out more about automating Google Sheets or get started with one of our workflows.
Now armed with the knowledge of sorting in Google Sheets, go forth and conquer your data! Trust me, it’ll be a breeze. And remember, if you ever need a helping hand, Crawlan.com is here to assist you.
Image Source: Copy the Google Sheets Data
