How do you sort columns in Excel without mixing data?
Rachel Ellis
Published Jan 12, 2026
How to sort a column but keep intact rows in Excel?
- Select the column data you want to sort, and then click Data > Sort.
- In the Sort Warning dialog, keep Expand the selection option checked, and click Sort.
- In the Sort dialog, specify the criterion that you will sort on and the sorting order. See screenshot:
- Click OK.
How do I sort in Excel without mixing data?
General Sort
- Click into any cell in the COLUMN you want to sort by within your list. (DO NOT highlight that column as this will sort that column only and leave the rest of your data where it is.)
- Click on the DATA tab.
- Click on either the Sort Ascending or Sort Descending. button.
How do you sort in Excel and keep columns together?
In the Sort Warning window, select Expand the selection, and click Sort. Along with Column G, the rest of the columns will also be sorted, so all rows are kept together. This technique works for any sort, including sorting by date or sorting alphabetically.
How do you sort 2 columns in Excel without mixing data?
Sort Columns without Mixing Data
- After selecting the column, explore the Data tab. ...
- Then select the Sort option from the Sort & Filter section of the Data tab.
- Make sure to check the My data has headers. ...
- Select any of the columns. ...
- Here we have two options.
How do I sort alphabetically in Excel without mixing data?
How to sort rows alphabetically in Excel
- Select the range you want to sort. ...
- Go to the Data tab > Sort and Filter group, and click Sort:
- In the Sort dialog box, click the Options...
- In the small Sort Options dialog that appears, select Sort left to right, and click OK to get back to the Sort.
How do I Sort a column in Excel but keep intact rows?
Sort a column but keep rows by Sort function
- Select the column data you want to sort, and then click Data > Sort.
- In the Sort Warning dialog, keep Expand the selection option checked, and click Sort.
- In the Sort dialog, specify the criterion that you will sort on and the sorting order. See screenshot:
- Click OK.
How do you Sort by date in sheets without mixing data?
Sort by Date Using the SORT Range Functionality
- Select the data to be sorted.
- Click the Data option in the menu.
- Click on 'Sort range' option.
- In the 'Sort range' dialog box: Select the option Data has header row (in case your data doesn't have a header row, leave this unchecked) ...
- Click on the Sort button.
How do you use Sortby?
The SORTBY function sorts the contents of a range or array based on the values in a corresponding range or array. Note: This function is currently available to Microsoft 365 subscribers in Current Channel. It will be available to Microsoft 365 subscribers in Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel starting in July 2020.
How do you Unsort in Excel?
In MS Excel 2010 version there is an option to unsort multiple/many columns in excel in one go: HOME->EDITING->SORT &FILTER drop down menu->CLEAR.
How do I Sort one column and keep rows together in sheets?
The following are steps for freezing rows or columns in Google Sheets:
- Highlight the row(s) or column(s) you would like to freeze. ...
- Select View from the menu items.
- To choose the number of rows or columns you wish to freeze, hover over Freeze rows or Freeze columns and select accordingly from the drop-down list.
How do I lock cells together in Excel?
Lock cells to protect them
- Select the cells you want to lock.
- On the Home tab, in the Alignment group, click the small arrow to open the Format Cells popup window.
- On the Protection tab, select the Locked check box, and then click OK to close the popup.
How do I Sort Excel and keep blank rows?
Sort data but keep blank rows in Excel
- Select your data list, and then click Home > Find & Select > Go To Special, see screenshot:
- In the Go To Special dialog, select Blanks under Select section, see screenshot:
- And all the blank cells have been selected, then press Ctrl + 9 keys to hide the blank rows.
Why is Excel not sorting all columns?
Make sure that the headings are only present in the first column. Select the complete table region only. Home tab -> Format Table As -> Choose any of the options and check the heading available when prompted. Try sorting it either ways and it should work for all columns.
How do I turn off sort columns in Excel?
Go to the Data ribbon and click the Clear icon in the Sort & Filter group. Go to the Home ribbon, click the arrow below the Sort & Filter icon in the Editing group and choose Clear.
How do I Unsort a sorted data in Excel?
STEPS TO USE UNDO OPTION:
- Simply press the UNDO BUTTON as shown in the picture above.
- One press will take you ONE OPERATION BACK.
- We can also use KEYBOARD SHORTCUT CTRL+Z for the same. One press means one step back.
- Click UNDO or press CTRL+Z again and again till we get the original unsorted data.
How do I get rid of alphabetical order in Excel?
Go to Home tab > Sort & Filter > Clear to clear the sorting/filtering. This will remove all filters to sort state and get rid of sort arrows. However, this method will not restore the data table to its original state/ initial sort order.
What is the difference between sort and Sortby in Excel?
The Excel SORT function sorts the contents of a range or array in ascending or descending order. Values can be sorted by one or more columns. SORT returns a dynamic array of results. The Excel SORTBY function sorts the contents of a range or array based on the values from another range or array.
How do I sort a column in Excel?
Sorting levels
- Select a cell in the column you want to sort by. ...
- Click the Data tab, then select the Sort command.
- The Sort dialog box will appear. ...
- Click Add Level to add another column to sort by.
- Select the next column you want to sort by, then click OK. ...
- The worksheet will be sorted according to the selected order.
How do I sort custom arrays in Excel?
Follow these steps:
- Select the columns to sort. ...
- In the ribbon, click Data > Sort.
- In the Sort popup window, in the Sort by drop-down, choose the column on which you need to sort. ...
- From the Order drop-down, select Custom List.
- In the Custom Lists box, select the list that you want, and then click OK to sort the worksheet.
How do I change the format of the date in Excel?
Select the cells you want to format. Press CTRL+1. In the Format Cells box, click the Number tab. In the Category list, click Date, and then choose a date format you want in Type.
How do I filter dates in sheets?
To filter a date column by date range using the filter menu in Sheets, there are two options.
...
Filter by Date Range Using Custom Formula in Sheets
- Select A2:F and go to Filter > Create a filter.
- Click “Filter by condition”
- Select “Custom formula is”
- Enter either of the above custom formulas.
How do you filter by date in Excel?
On the Data tab, in the Sort & Filter group, click Filter.
- Arrows in the column headers appear.
- Click the arrow next to Date. ...
- Click OK. ...
- Click the arrow next to Date. ...
- Result. ...
- Note: this date filter and many other date filters depend on today's date.
How do I filter in Excel without affecting other columns?
You don't - that is the idea behind filters - It shows the data that meets specific criteria in one or more columns, and hides the rest. If you want to filter 1 column without affecting other columns, copy that column to a new blank worksheet.
Why is Excel only sorting one column?
Re: Excel sorting one column only
You have to take it out of the table in order to sort just one column. If your data is in a table it's assumed that each row is its own entry, switching around data between rows in a table would mess things up.
How do I fix sorting problems in Excel?
To solve this problem, convert the entire column to text. If you're sorting by a column containing a formula, Excel will recalculate the column after the sort. If the values change after the recalculation, such as with RAND, it may appear that the sort did not work properly, but it did.