Summary
Highlights
Learn how to sort data in Excel to view it more easily. Sorting can reorder data alphabetically, numerically, by date, or in a custom order. You can find sorting commands in the Home tab (Sort & Filter) or the Data tab.
To sort a column, click any cell within that column and then use the Ascending (A-Z) or Descending (Z-A) commands. When a single column is sorted, Excel automatically reorders other columns to maintain data integrity for each row.
If your spreadsheet has an unusual layout, you may need to manually select the cells you want to sort. Select the desired cell range, including the header row if applicable, then use the 'Sort' command. In the dialog box, check 'My data has headers', select the column to sort by, and choose the sorting order (e.g., Largest to Smallest).
For specific sorting needs, like ordering t-shirt sizes (Small, Medium, Large, X-Large) which alphabetical sorting wouldn't provide, create a custom list. Click 'Sort', then 'Custom List', and enter your desired order. Add the list, confirm your selection, and click OK to apply.
To organize data based on multiple criteria (e.g., t-shirt size then homeroom number), use multi-level sorting. In the 'Sort' dialog box, add a new level, select the next column to sort by (e.g., Homeroom), and choose its sorting order. Excel will then sort the data within each primary sort group.