Tired of spending hours sorting data in your Google Sheets? Does your spreadsheet look more like a chaotic mess than an organized tool? You’re not alone! Many people struggle with keeping their sheets tidy and up-to-date.
In this guide, we’ll show you simple ways to make your Google Sheets sort themselves out automatically. Let’s get started and transform your spreadsheets from chaos to clarity.
How To Sort Data In Google Sheets?
Sorting data in Google Sheets is key to keeping your information organized and easy to access. Whether you’re working with one column or many, knowing how to sort data can boost your workflow and data management. Before diving into automatic sorting methods, let’s look at basic sorting using the data menu.
1. Sorting Data Using Data Menu
Sorting data in Google Sheets using the Data menu is simple and efficient. Whether you’re sorting a single column or multiple columns, the Data menu provides the necessary tools. Here’s how to do it:
a. Sort Data Based On Single Column
- Open your Google spreadsheet.
- Select the range you want to sort by dragging to highlight it. You can also select an entire column by clicking on the column letter.
- Navigate to the top of the screen and click on the “Data” menu.
- In the Data menu, you will observe two built-in options for sorting data.
- Sort Sheet: Sorts all data on the sheet based on the selected column.
- Sort Range: Sorts the data within a selected range based on the selected column.
- Choose a sorting option that suits your needs. For now, continue with the “Sort range” option.
- Open advanced sorting settings by selecting “Advanced range sorting options” from the side menu.
- Next to “Sort by,” specify the primary column you want to sort.
- Choose the sorting order: either “Sort range A to Z” for ascending or “Sort range Z to A” for descending.
- You can also sort via cell actions by right-clicking on the selected column or range.
- Click on “View more cell actions” and select “Sort range.”
- Choose either “A to Z” or “Z to A” accordingly.
- Execute the sort command by clicking on “Sort” once you’re done.
That’s it! This will sort all the rows in the data range based on the column you selected.
b. Sort Data Based On Multiple Columns
Now, let’s see how to sort Google Sheets by multiple columns:
- Select the data range you want to sort.
- Go to the “Data” menu and click “Sort range.”
- Choose “Advanced range sorting options” from the side menu.
- In the “Sort by” field, select the primary column for sorting.
- Click “Add another sort column” to choose additional columns for sorting.
- Click on “Sort” to apply the sorting criteria to the data range.
How To Sort Data In Google Sheets Automatically?
Sorting data manually can take a lot of time, especially with large datasets. Google Sheets offers automated sorting options to help keep your data organized. Here, we’ll look at two main methods for automatically sorting data in Google Sheets.
Auto Sort By Using Sorting Function
Google Sheets offers a built-in function called SORT to help you automatically organize your data. This function allows you to sort your data dynamically, so it updates automatically as new data is added or changed. Here’s the formula for the sort function in Google Sheets:
For Single Column:
| =SORT(range, sort_column, is_ascending) |
Where,
- range: The range of data you want to sort.
- sort_column: The column to sort by. Columns within your range are numbered from left to right starting with 1.
- is_ascending: TRUE for ascending order, FALSE for descending order.
For Multiple Columns:
| =SORT(range, sort_column, is_ascending, secondary_column, is_ascending) |
This sorts the secondary column after the primary column. If you have more columns, mention them one after another.
Let’s walk through the steps to use the SORT function:
- Open your Google spreadsheet.
- Select the cell where you want the sorted data to appear.
- Enter the SORT formula with the appropriate parameters. For example, to sort data in the range A2 by the first column in ascending order, use
| =SORT(A2:C11, 1, TRUE) |
- Click enter to apply the formula.
- The sorted data will appear in the selected cell range, and it will automatically update whenever the original data changes.
Auto Sort By Using Macros
You can also use macros to automate the sorting process in Google Sheets. Macros let you record a series of actions and then replay them with a single click, simplifying repetitive sorting tasks.
- Open your Google spreadsheet.
- Go to the “Extensions” menu and select “Macros.”
- Click on “Record macro.”
- Select the range, go to the “Data” menu, and choose your sorting options.
- Click “Save” and give your macro a name.
- To run the macro, go to “Extensions,” select “Macros,” and choose the macro you created. This will apply the recorded sorting steps.
However, running the macro manually every time you open the spreadsheet can be cumbersome. Instead, you can automate the running of the macro each time you open Google Sheets. Here’s how
- Select “Manage macros” in the Macros side menu.
- In the Manage macros section, click on the three vertical dots next to your macro and select “Edit script.”
- Macros actually record Google Apps Script. By selecting “Edit script,” you will navigate to the code generated during the macro recording.
- In the script window, select the trigger icon, indicated by a clock on the left side.
- Select “Add Trigger” located in the bottom right corner.
- In Trigger Settings:
- Select your named macro in the “Choose which function to run” section.
- Scroll down and click on the “Select event type” drop-down menu.
- Select the “on open” option. Each time you open the spreadsheet, the macro will automatically run.
- Click “Save” to finalize the setup.
How To Sort By Number In Google Sheets?
Google Sheets isn’t just for sorting data alphabetically; you can also sort numbers. This is useful for organizing number-heavy datasets like finances or sales. The process for sorting by number is similar to basic sorting and easy to do.
To sort numbers in Google Sheets, follow these steps:
- Open Google Sheet: Open your Google spreadsheet and select the column with the numbers you want to sort.
- Go to the “Data” menu at the top of the screen.
- Select “Sort sheet” from the menu.
- Choose either “Sort sheet by [selected-column], A to Z” for ascending order or “Sort sheet by [selected-column], Z to A” for descending order.
How To Sort Google Sheet By Date?
In a similar way to sorting Google Sheets by number, you can also sort your data by date.
- Select the column containing the dates you want to sort.
- Go to the “Data” menu.
- Choose “Sort sheet”.
- Select “Sort sheet by [selected-column], A to Z” or “Sort sheet by [selected-column], Z to A”.
How To Sort Data By Color in Google Sheets?
Google Sheets offers built-in functionality to sort data by color, for both fill color and text color. It helps you quickly group and analyze your data based on the visual cues you have set. Here’s how to achieve it:
- Select the range of data you want to sort by color.
- Click on the “Data” menu at the top.
- Choose “Create a filter.”
- Click the filter icon in the column header with the color applied.
- In the filter options, select “Sort by color.”
- Choose “Fill color” or “Text color” based on your sorting preference and select the color.
- This will sort the rows according to the color you selected.
For the rest of the colors in your data, you’ll need to repeat the sorting process for each color.
By using these sorting methods in your workflow, you can easily manage and organize data in Google Sheets. Whether you need to sort alphabetically, by number, by date, or by color, these options make it simple. Both automated and manual sorting enhance data accessibility and boost productivity.
FAQs:
The primary limitation is that using formulas can sometimes slow down the performance if you’re working with a very large dataset. Also, automatic sorting through scripts requires basic scripting knowledge and might not trigger instantly with every single data change.
Yes, you can disable automatic sorting by removing the SORT function or deleting the Google Apps Script associated with sorting. Remember to backup your data or test changes in a copy of your spreadsheet to prevent data loss.
Sorting and filtering in Google Sheets have distinct functions. Sorting arranges data in a specific order alphabetically, numerically, or by date making it easier to organize and analyze. Filtering, however, displays only data that meets specific criteria, hiding the rest. This helps you focus on relevant information. While sorting organizes your entire dataset, filtering narrows down the data to what you need.
Yes, you can use the SORT function to create dynamic charts. By linking the chart data range to a SORT function, the chart will automatically update as the underlying data changes
Yes, there are third-party tools and add-ons available that can provide additional features and automation capabilities for Google Sheets. However, be cautious about data privacy and security when using external tools.
Conclusion
Automating your Google Sheets sorting saves time and keeps your data organized efficiently. By setting up automatic sorting, you reduce manual effort and can focus on more critical tasks. This guide aims to make your spreadsheet management smoother and more effective. If you found this helpful, please share your thoughts in the comments!
One Response
This has become my go-to solution