A Google Sheets Sort by Multiple Columns Guide (2 Easy Ways)

Sorting data in Google Sheets is pretty straight forward.

You can sort a single column (alphabetically or based on the numeric value in ascending/descending order) or multiple columns (based on one of the columns).

But what if you have multiple columns and you want to sort more than one columns at the same time.

For example, suppose you have a dataset as shown below and you want to first sort based on the region and then based on the sales. This way, you would have all the records for each region together and within each region, the sales can be sorted from highest to lowest.

In this tutorial, I will show you how to sort by multiple columns in Google Sheets. But if you’d like to learn this topic and a ton of other smart lessons, consider taking a full Udemy Google Sheets course instead.

Let’s get started!

How to Sort by Multiple Columns in Google Sheets App

1. Select the entire dataset.
2. Go to Data > Sort range.
3. In the ‘Sort range’ dialog box, click on the ‘Data has header row option’.
4. In the Sort by drop-down, click on a column and the sort order as A –> Z
5. Click on ‘Add another sort column’ option
6. In the ‘then by’ drop-down, select the second column and the sort order as Z –> A (as we want the sorting from highest to lowest sale value)
7. Click on Sort.

Sort by Multiple Columns In Google Sheets

Multi-level sorting can easily be done in Google (as it has in-built functionality to do this).

Below is the data set that I will use in this tutorial.

Here are the steps to sort by multiple columns in Google Sheets:

8. Select the entire dataset (A1:C13 in this example)
9. Click the Data tab
10. Click on the Sort range option
    

    

11. In the ‘Sort range’ dialog box, click on the ‘Data has header row option’. No need to check this in case you don’t have a header row
    

    

12. In the Sort by drop-down, click on Region and the sort order as A –> Z
    

    

13. Click on ‘Add another sort column’ option
    

    

14. In the ‘then by’ drop-down, select Sales and the sort order as Z –> A (as we want the sorting from highest to lowest sale value)
    

    

15. Click on Sort
    

    

The above steps would sort the dataset first by the Region column (alphabetically in ascending order) and then each region data is then sorted using the sales value (highest to lowest).

In this example, I have shown you how to double sort in Google Sheets, but you can sort by more than two columns as well using the same steps. Just repeat steps 6 and 7 for more columns.

Pro Tip: In case you may need to revert back to original data, add an additional column (I call these helper columns) and have serial numbers in it (1 in the first cell, 2 in the cell below it and so on). When you want to revert to the original order, simply sort based on this helper column.

Sort by Multiple Columns Google Sheets Using the Sort Function

The sort function in Google Sheets lets you specify more than one column to sort your data by. SORT(range, sort_column, is_ascending, [sort_column2, is_ascending2, …])

range – Stands for the data to be sorted.

sort_column – The column ID with the values by which to sort.

is_ascending– The order to sort by

sort_column2, is_ascending2 .. – Additional columns and sort order flags beyond the first, in order of precedence.

To have Google Sheets sort function multiple columns, you need to have 2 sort column arguments in your formula.

In our example, we’ll use the formula =SORT(A2:A13,2, true,3,true).

This formula will let Google Sheets order by multiple columns using column B and column C. The true argument arranges the data in ascending order.

How to Sort by Multiple Columns in Google Sheets App

If you prefer or are often using the Google Sheets mobile app, you can also have Google spreadsheet sort multiple columns.

Currently, there isn’t an option to sort data by multiple columns in Google Sheets mobile app.

Here’s the method for sorting in the Google Sheets mobile app:

1. Open a spreadsheet in the Google Sheets app.
2. Tap a letter at the top to select a column.
3. Open the menu by tapping the top of the column again.
4. Tap the three dots for more options.

5. Choose sort by A- Z

If you want to Google Sheets android sort multiple columns, the best method to use is the Sort function since you can have more than one sort column.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can You Sort by Multiple Columns in Google Sheets?

Yes, you can have a Google Sheet sort by multiple columns using the Sort range option in the data menu. All you need to do is go to the Advanced range sorting options and choose Add another sort column.

How Do I Sort Multiple Columns in Google Sheets and Keep Rows Together?

Here’s the Google Sheets sorting multiple columns method while keeping rows together :

1. Select the entire dataset (A1:C13 in this example)
2. Go to Data > Sort range.
3. In the ‘Sort range’ dialog box, click on the ‘Data has header row option’.
4. In the Sort by drop-down, click on a column and the sort order as A –> Z
5. Click on ‘Add another sort column’ option
6. In the ‘then by’ drop-down, select the second column and the sort order as Z –> A (as we want the sorting from highest to lowest sale value)
7. Click on Sort.

Final Thoughts

So this is how you can easily sort by multiple columns in Google Sheets. Unfortunately, there’s

Hope you found this tutorial useful! You can also have a look at our guide for how to sort by color n Google Sheets. If you found this article useful, then you will love our premium templates, just remember to use the code SSP at checkout for 50% off!

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Other Google Sheets tutorials you may find useful:

• • How to Sort by Color in Google Sheets
  • How to Sort in Google Sheets
  • How to Sort by Date in Google Sheets (using Formula)
  • How to Alphabetize in Google Sheets (Step-by-Step)
  • Sort Horizontally in Google Sheets (Sort Columns Left to Right)
  • How to Combine Cells in Google Sheets (using simple Formulas)
  • How to Filter By Color in Google Sheets (Using a Formula)