When using spreadsheets, sorting data is essential, and Google Sheets offers a powerful function called “Sort by Column” to help with this. Understanding how Google Sheets’ “Sort by Column” tool operates is essential for effective data organization and analysis, whether you need to order a list of names alphabetically or rank data based on numerical values.
We will explore the fundamentals, step-by-step usage instructions, and advanced data sorting features in Google Sheets in this detailed article.
What is the Sorting in Google Sheets?
Sorting data in Google Sheets means putting data in a particular order depending on the specified criteria. Sorting helps in data organization, making it simpler to analyze, observe trends, and find important information from Google Sheets.
What are the Purposes of Sorting Data in Google Sheets?
The major purposes of sorting data in Google Sheets are:
- Sorting the headings and sub-headings alphabetically for better readability.
- Sorting the numerical data in ascending or descending order to observe the trends of the data.
- Sorting the groups on the basis of categories for better analysis.
Why Sorting Data in Google Sheets is Beneficial?
Some of the important advantages of sorting data in Google Sheets are:
- It increases the readability which helps out in a better understanding of the data.
- It helps to identify the trends or patterns of the specified data.
- It helps the users to access the relevant information in the best time interval.
What is the feature of “Sort by Column” in Google Sheets?
By default when the data is inserted into Google Sheets, the data is sorted on the basis of the data entry in the rows. There is a limitation in the default sorting of the data as there is no specified pattern or rules defined behind the sorting of the data.
To overcome this limitation, we have a feature the “Sort by Column” in Google Sheets which is used to sort the data on the basis of columns upon some defined rules.
How to Use the “Sort by Column” Feature in Google Sheets?
To use the feature of “Sort by Column” in Google Sheets, we can sort the specified columns. The first step is to access the feature of “Sort by Column” in Google Sheets, and select the columns which are supposed to be sorted:
After selecting the column, click on “Data” in the menu bar, then click on “Sort range”, and then “Sort range by colun B(A to Z)”:
This will sort the data alphabetically:
The data has been sorted in Google Sheets.
How to Sort Multiple Columns in Google Sheets using the “Sort by Column” feature?
Similar to the method of sorting a specified column, we can sort multiple columns as well. To do so, select the multiple columns to sort in Google Sheets:
Then again click on “Data”, then “Sort range”, and then “Advanced range sorting options”:
Then click on the “Add another sort column” to add the other column:
Now select the columns, then define the sorting order, and finally, click on the “Sort” button:
The multiple selected columns will be sorted alphabetically on Google Sheets using the “Sort by Column” feature.
Conclusion
Use the “Sort by Column” feature in Google Sheets to sort the columns by defining a specific alphabetic order. This can be used by clicking on “Data”, then “Sort range” and then your sort order. This blog has explained the sorting term in Google Sheets and the feature of “Sort by Column” in detail with examples.
