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Easy ways to sort a Google Sheets spreadsheet by number
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This wikiHow teaches you how to rearrange all the cells in a column numerically on any computer. You can quickly sort by number using the Sort Range feature in the Data tab, by creating a filter, or by creating a formula with the SORT function.
Tips When Sorting Columns by Number
- To sort by number in Google Sheets, start by freezing your header row and making sure your numbers are saved as numbers (not text).
- Select the column you want to sort, then go to "Data" > "Sort range" > "Advanced range sorting options".
- Select "Data has header row," select ascending or descending order, and then click "Sort."
Steps
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Freeze your header row (if you haven't already). If there's a header above the numbers you want to sort, you'll want to freeze the row before sorting. To freeze the header row:
- Click the row number on the left side of the sheet.
- Right-click the highlighted row.
- Select View more row actions > Freeze 1 row . [1] X Research source
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Make sure your numbers are stored as numbers (not text). Here's how:
- Select the numerical cells you want to sort ( not including the header row—just the cells with numbers).
- Click the Format menu at the top.
- Select the Number menu.
- Select a number option that best describes your data. For example, use Number for regular numbers or Currency for prices.
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Highlight the cells you want to sort. You can click the column letter above the numbers to select the entire column.
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Click the Data tab at the top of Google Sheets. It will open a drop-down menu.
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Click Sort range on the Data menu. This option will allow you to customize your sorting settings.
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Select Advanced range sorting options . It's at the bottom of the menu.
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Check the box next to "Data has header row." This ensures your header row won't get mixed up in the numbers when you sort.
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Select a sorting order. Select A to Z to sort numbers in ascending order (lowest number at the top), or Z to A to sort in descending order.
- Even though you're seeing "A to Z" and "Z to A," sorting with this method also works on numbers ( not just letters ). A is equivalent to your lowest number, and Z is the highest number.
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Click Sort . Your numbers are now in the selected order.
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Make sure there's a header above your numbers. To sort numbers with a filter, the cell above your number list must be a header cell.
- For example, if you're sorting a list of prices, you may want to make the header "Prices" for that column.
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Make sure your numbers are stored as numbers (not text). Here's how:
- Select the numerical cells you want to sort ( not including the header row—just the cells with numbers).
- Click the Format menu at the top.
- Select the Number menu.
- Select a number option that best describes your data. For example, use Number for regular numbers or Currency for prices.
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Select the column you want to sort. Click the letter above the column to select all the numbers and the header row at once.
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Click the Data tab and select Create a filter . This adds a small funnel icon to the header cell, which indicates that you can now easily sort the column.
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Click the filter icon and select a sorting option. Select A to Z to sort numbers in ascending order (lowest number at the top), or Z to A to sort in descending order. Once you make your selection, the numbers in the column will sort in ascending or descending order.
- Even though you see "A to Z" and "Z to A," sorting with this method also works on numbers. A is equivalent to your lowest number, and Z is the highest number.
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Store your numbers in a numerical format. If the numbers you want to sort are stored as plain text in Google Sheets, they won't sort correctly. Here's what you'll need to do:
- Select the numerical cells you want to sort ( not the header row—just the cells with numbers).
- Click the Format menu at the top.
- Select the Number menu.
- Select a number option that best describes your data. For example, use Number for regular numbers or Currency for prices.
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Create a formula with the SORT function. The syntax is =SORT( RANGE:RANGE , sort_column , TRUE / FALSE ) .
- Replace RANGE:RANGE with the range you want to sort, e.g., E2:E40 .
- sort_column is the number of the column you want to sort by, based on how many columns you selected. If you're only sorting one column, the value is 1 . If you're sorting multiple columns based on the numbers in the second selected column, you'd enter 2 . [2] X Research source
- To sort in ascending order, with the lowest number at the top, use TRUE . For descending order, use FALSE .
- For example, to sort only column E (in this case, cells E2: E40) in numerical order, you'd use =SORT(E2:E40, 1, TRUE) .
- To sort the data in column D as well, based on E2:E40, you'd use =SORT(E2:E40, D2:D40, 2, TRUE) .
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Tips
- You can also use the SORT function in Microsoft Excel . The only difference is that instead of using TRUE or FALSE, you'll use 1 to sort in ascending order and -1 to sort in descending order. [3] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to sourceThanks
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Article Summary
X
1. Open Google Sheets
in a browser.
2. Click a spreadsheet file.
3. Select a column.
4. Click the Data
tab.
5. Click Sort range
or Sort sheet by column
.
6. Select A to Z
or Z to A
.
7. Click Sort
.
Did this summary help you?
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 160,325 times.
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