By esantiago@hubspot.com (Erica Santiago)

Google Sheets is a great tool for tracking, analyzing, and organizing data for your company or business.

While the application is user-friendly, it can be a bit tricky if you’re new to organizing data in a digital spreadsheet. But, don’t worry! Read on for an easy introduction to sorting in Google Sheets.

First, know that there are many ways to sort data in Google Sheets. Some of the most common features marketers like you will use when working in Google Sheets are:

• Pivot tables – Useful for gathering data from a large database
• What-If analysis – Allows you to experiment with different scenarios for values and formulas to understand possible outcomes
• Charts – A simple way to visualize data in the form of a graph, diagram, or table

While these features can also be found in Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets may be the better option for you. Unlike Excel, Google Sheets doesn’t require a paid subscription.

The tool is free for anyone with a Google account or Google Workspace account. Many users also find Sheets a more optimal tool for collaborative projects when compared to Excel.

So, how do we get started sorting in Google Sheets? Let’s dive in.

Sorting by Sheet Vs. Sorting by Range in Google Sheets

The latter is especially helpful if your spreadsheet contains multiple tables and you want to organize one table without disrupting the others.

For example, the spreadsheet below is sorted by sheet. The titles of the books (column A) have been sorted into alphabetical order.

In the second example, the titles are sorted in reverse alphabetical order. In both cases, each book’s author, publishing date, and genre remain with the corresponding title.

The example below has two separate graphs on one sheet. Notice the graph containing book titles, authors, release date, etc … is organized by alphabetical order, while the book log below it is not.

That’s because the graph of book titles was sorted by range so it wouldn’t disrupt the book log below it.

How to Sort Columns and Rows in Google Sheets

Knowing how to sort rows and columns in Google Sheets is key to organizing your data. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

Alphabetical or Numerical Order

Step 1: Open a spreadsheet in Google Sheets and highlight the group of cells you’d like to sort. In this example, we’ll use the graph of book titles.

If your sheet has a header row (like the green header row in the example), you’re going to want to freeze that row so it stays in place as you sort.

To do this, select the header row, click the “View” tab, click “Freeze,” then click “1 row.” If you …read more

Source:: HubSpot Blog

Author: Aaron