MS Excel - Excel Sort

1. What is Sorting in Excel?

Sorting in Excel helps you organize data in a specific order — either alphabetical, numerical, date-based, or even by color.

2. Basic Sorting (One Column)

Steps:

1. Select any cell in the column you want to sort.

2. Go to Home → Editing → Sort & Filter or Data → Sort & Filter.

3. Choose:

   • Sort A → Z → Ascending (A-Z, smallest to largest, oldest to newest).

   • Sort Z → A → Descending (Z-A, largest to smallest, newest to oldest).

Shortcut:

• Alt + D + S → Opens Sort Dialog Box.

• Alt + H + S + S → Sort ascending.

• Alt + H + S + O → Sort descending.

3. Custom Sorting (Advanced Options)

If you want to sort multiple columns or custom orders:

Steps:

1. Select your dataset.

2. Go to Data → Sort → Click Custom Sort.

3. In the Sort dialog:

   • Choose the column.

   • Choose Sort On:

     • Values (default)

     • Cell Color

     • Font Color

     • Cell Icon.

   • Choose Order:

     • A-Z / Z-A

     • Smallest → Largest

     • Oldest → Newest

     • Custom List.

4. Multi-Level Sorting

You can sort by multiple columns.

Example:
Sort by Department first, then Employee Name.

Steps:

1. Go to Data → Sort → Custom Sort.

2. Click Add Level.

3. Select:

   • First level → Sort by Department (A-Z).

   • Second level → Then by Employee Name (A-Z).

4. Click OK.

5. Sorting by Color

You can sort by cell color, font color, or conditional formatting icons.

Steps:

1. Select your range.

2. Go to Data → Sort → Custom Sort.

3. Under Sort On, select:

   • Cell Color → Sorts cells with a specific background color first.

   • Font Color → Sorts cells based on text color.

   • Cell Icon → Sorts based on conditional formatting icons.

6. Sorting Dates

Excel sorts dates chronologically.

Steps:

1. Select your column of dates.

2. Go to Data → Sort.

3. Choose:

   • Oldest to Newest

   • Newest to Oldest.

Tip: If dates don’t sort correctly, ensure the cells are formatted as Date (Ctrl+1 → Number → Date).

7. Sorting with a Custom List

If you want Excel to sort in a specific order, e.g.:

Example: Sort months as
Jan → Feb → Mar → Apr (not alphabetically).

Steps:

1. Go to Data → Sort → Custom Sort.

2. Choose column.

3. Under Order, choose Custom List.

4. Select built-in lists (e.g., days, months) or create your own.

8. Sorting Using Formulas (Dynamic Sorting)

If you want automatically sorted lists without using the Data menu, use formulas.
(Excel 365 / Excel 2021 or later)

Formula Example 1: Sort Numbers

=SORT(A2:A10)

• Sorts the range A2:A10 ascending.

Formula Example 2: Sort Descending

=SORT(A2:A10,,-1)

• -1 = descending order.

Formula Example 3: Sort by Another Column

=SORT(A2:B10,2,1)

• Sorts A2:B10 based on the 2nd column, ascending.

9. Sort vs. Filter

• Sort → Rearranges all rows based on your criteria.

• Filter → Hides rows temporarily without rearranging them.

Shortcut to open Filter:
Ctrl + Shift + L

10. Excel Sorting Shortcuts

11. Tips for Better Sorting

• Always select entire table, not just one column — to avoid data mismatches.

• Remove merged cells before sorting — they cause errors.

• Convert data into a Table (Ctrl + T) for easier sorting & filtering.

• Use Custom Lists for non-standard sequences.

• Use SORT() formula for dynamic sorting in dashboards.