How to Sort Alphabetically in Excel and Keep Rows Together

If you’re working with spreadsheets in Excel, the ability to sort data alphabetically is a crucial skill. Sorting data makes it easier to analyze and understand information. But what if you want to sort alphabetically in Excel and keep rows together? This is when the sorting feature alone won’t do, you need an advanced formula. In this article, we’ll dive into how to sort alphabetically in Excel while keeping rows together, guiding you through the steps to achieve this efficiently.

Introduction:

Sorting data is a common task when using Excel. It’s a quick and efficient way to organize data, making it easier to understand and analyze. However, sometimes you may need to maintain the relationship between certain rows in your data even after sorting alphabetically. In this article, we’ll show you how to sort alphabetically in Excel while keeping rows together.

Step 1: Identify the data to be sorted

The first step in sorting data alphabetically is identifying the range of cells you want to sort. This can be a single column, a range of columns, or the entire spreadsheet.

Step 2: Select Custom Sort

Click on the “Data” tab and then click on the “Sort” button. From the drop-down menu, select “Custom Sort.” Alternatively, you can also use the shortcut Alt + H + S + S.

Step 3: Choose your sorting options

The “Sort” dialog box will appear. Ensure that the “My data has headers” box is checked if applicable. Under “Column,” select the column that contains the data you want to sort alphabetically. Choose the sorting option “A to Z” under “Sort On” to sort in ascending order.

Step 4: Add a level for the rows

Now, we’ll add an additional level to sort the rows according to their original order. Click on the “Add Level” button. Under “Sort On,” select “Values,” and under “Order” select “Custom List” from the drop-down menu.

Step 5: Create a custom list for the sorting order

The “Custom Lists” dialog box will appear. Select “NEW LIST” and enter the order of your rows in the box. You can enter the names of the rows separated by commas. For example, if you have rows named “John,” “Mary,” and “Peter,” you would enter “John,Mary,Peter.” Then click “Add,” and “OK.”

Step 6: Sort your data

Click “OK” in the “Sort” dialog box. Your data will now be sorted alphabetically while keeping the original order of the rows.

Conclusion

Sorting data alphabetically in Excel can be a powerful tool, but it’s essential to know how to maintain the relationship between certain rows. Following these steps will allow you to sort alphabetically in Excel while keeping your rows together, and maintaining the order of importance of the data. Doing so will ensure you keep everything in an organized view and enable you to work efficiently.

Additional Tips and Tricks

Sorting data in Excel can be sometimes tricky, so here are some additional tips to help you achieve the desired outcome:

Sorting by Multiple Columns

If you have a large dataset, you may need to sort the data by multiple columns to better organize it. To do this, select “Add Level” in the “Sort” dialog box, and select the additional columns you wish to sort.

Sorting by Numeric Values

If you want to sort numerical values, select “Values” under “Sort On” and choose “Smallest to Largest” or “Largest to Smallest” options for the order. Excel would then sort the data according to the smallest or largest value and maintain the relationship between rows based on the other criteria you’ve set.

Sorting by Dates

When sorting data by dates in Excel, it’s essential to store your date values as actual dates instead of treating them as text. To sort by dates, select “Date” under “Sort On,” and then select the appropriate date order (Newest to Oldest/Oldest to Newest).

Conclusion

Sorting data and keeping rows together in Excel isn’t always straightforward, but with these tips and tricks, you should now be able to achieve your desired outcome. Sorting by multiple columns, sorting by numeric values, and sorting by dates have just been shown to you in addition to the main topic of sorting alphabetically with specific row order requirements. Organizing your data is an essential part of analyzing it, and Excel has several features that make it easier to do so. Use sorting data in your spreadsheets to bring order to chaos and excel in data analysis without a headache.

FAQ

Here are some frequently asked questions (FAQs) about sorting alphabetically in Excel and keeping rows together:

Can I sort numeric values alphabetically?

No, you cannot sort numeric values alphabetically as they represent a different data type from text data. Instead, sort numerical values under the “Values” category. You can choose the order as either “Smallest to Largest” or “Largest to Smallest.”

Can I sort data in Excel when some of the cells are empty?

Yes, you can sort data in Excel with empty cells. However, if you want to sort a range of cells, ensure that the entire range contains values, even if they are blank. Otherwise, sorting may chop up the data.

How do you sort multiple columns simultaneously?

To sort multiple columns at once, select the columns you want to prioritize, then click “Add Level” in the “Sort” dialog box. Set the sorting for the next column to “Values” and continue until all the columns are set. Alternatively, use “Sort by color” or “Sort by font” depending on your data structure.

Can I undo sorting in Excel?

Yes, if you’ve made a mistake in sorting, you can undo your last action with the Excel shortcut: Ctrl + Z. Alternatively, click on the “Undo” button, which is found at the top-left corner of the Excel window.

Is there a shortcut to access the sorting function in Excel?

Yes! The quickest way to activate sorting in Excel is with the shortcut: Alt + H + S.