--- title: "SORT function in Excel: syntax and examples | PracticeExcel" description: "How to use SORT in Excel 365 and Google Sheets: a sorted copy of your data that updates by itself, by any column, up or down." canonical_url: "https://practiceexcelonline.com/functions/sort" locale: en meta: "og:description": "How to use SORT in Excel 365 and Google Sheets: a sorted copy of your data that updates by itself, by any column, up or down." "og:image": "https://practiceexcelonline.com/_og/d/c_Page%2Ctitle_~U09SVCBmdW5jdGlvbiBpbiBFeGNlbDogc3ludGF4IGFuZCBleGFtcGxlcw%2Cdescription_~SG93IHRvIHVzZSBTT1JUIGluIEV4Y2VsIDM2NSBhbmQgR29vZ2xlIFNoZWV0czogYSBzb3J0ZWQgY29weSBvZiB5b3VyIGRhdGEgdGhhdCB1cGRhdGVzIGJ5IGl0c2VsZiwgYnkgYW55IGNvbHVtbiwgdXAgb3IgZG93bi4%2Ceyebrow_Excel%2Bfunctions%2Csite_practiceexcel%2Ccode_~U09SVChhcnJheSwgW3NvcnRfaW5kZXhdLCBbc29ydF9vcmRlcl0sIFtieV9jb2xdKQ%2Cp_Ii9mdW5jdGlvbnMvc29ydCI%2Cs_4kquZomZ-lVQ-fsu.png" "og:image:height": "600" "og:image:type": image/png "og:image:width": "1200" "og:title": "SORT function in Excel: syntax and examples | PracticeExcel" "twitter:image": "https://practiceexcelonline.com/_og/d/c_Page%2Ctitle_~U09SVCBmdW5jdGlvbiBpbiBFeGNlbDogc3ludGF4IGFuZCBleGFtcGxlcw%2Cdescription_~SG93IHRvIHVzZSBTT1JUIGluIEV4Y2VsIDM2NSBhbmQgR29vZ2xlIFNoZWV0czogYSBzb3J0ZWQgY29weSBvZiB5b3VyIGRhdGEgdGhhdCB1cGRhdGVzIGJ5IGl0c2VsZiwgYnkgYW55IGNvbHVtbiwgdXAgb3IgZG93bi4%2Ceyebrow_Excel%2Bfunctions%2Csite_practiceexcel%2Ccode_~U09SVChhcnJheSwgW3NvcnRfaW5kZXhdLCBbc29ydF9vcmRlcl0sIFtieV9jb2xdKQ%2Cp_Ii9mdW5jdGlvbnMvc29ydCI%2Cs_4kquZomZ-lVQ-fsu.png" --- > Index of every page on this site: [llms.txt](https://practiceexcelonline.com/llms.txt) # **The SORT function** Sorts the rows of a range by one of its columns and spills the sorted copy into the cells below. The original data stays as it is. = SORT( ## **Syntax** ``` SORT(array, [sort_index], [sort_order], [by_col]) ```
**array **
The range to sort.
**sort_index **(optional)
Which column of the range to sort by, counted from 1. Left out, the first column.
**sort_order **(optional)
1 or left out for smallest to largest (A to Z), -1 for largest to smallest.
**by_col **(optional)
TRUE to sort the columns of the range instead of its rows.
## **Examples** D1=SORT(A2:B5) | | A | B | C | D | E | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | Name | Sales | | **Ava** | **275** | | 2 | Maya | 320 | | **Ben** | **450** | | 3 | Ben | 450 | | **Maya** | **320** | | 4 | Zoe | 180 | | **Zoe** | **180** | | 5 | Ava | 275 | | | | D1`=SORT(1A2:B5,22,3-1)` | | A | B | C | D | E | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | Name | Sales | | **Ben** | **450** | | 2 | Maya | 320 | | **Maya** | **320** | | 3 | Ben | 450 | | **Ava** | **275** | | 4 | Zoe | 180 | | **Zoe** | **180** | | 5 | Ava | 275 | | | | **In plain words:** Sort 1the names and sales in A2:B5 by 2the second column, 3largest first. D1=SORT(B2:B5) | | A | B | C | D | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | Name | Sales | | **180** | | 2 | Maya | 320 | | **275** | | 3 | Ben | 450 | | **320** | | 4 | Zoe | 180 | | **450** | | 5 | Ava | 275 | | | ## **Practice SORT** - [**1****Sort a table by sales with SORT**→](https://practiceexcelonline.com/practice/sort-and-unique/sort-function) - [**2****A sorted list without duplicates**→](https://practiceexcelonline.com/practice/sort-and-unique/sort-unique-list) - [**3****A drop-down source without repeats**→](https://practiceexcelonline.com/practice/data-validation/drop-down-source-without-repeats) ## **Read the guide** - [**How to create a drop-down list in Excel, and make it update itself**](https://practiceexcelonline.com/learn/drop-down-list-excel) - [**How to make a graph in Excel: column, line and pie charts step by step**](https://practiceexcelonline.com/learn/excel-charts) ## **Questions**
### Why does SORT return The sorted result needs empty cells to spill into, and something is in the way. Clear the cells below and to the right of the formula.
### Does SORT work the same way in Google Sheets? Google Sheets has SORT too, but its arguments differ. You give the column to sort by and TRUE or FALSE for ascending, as in =SORT(A2:B5,2,FALSE), and you can add more column and order pairs.
## **Related functions** - [**SORTBY**](https://practiceexcelonline.com/functions/sortby) - [**FILTER**](https://practiceexcelonline.com/functions/filter) - [**UNIQUE**](https://practiceexcelonline.com/functions/unique) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@id":"https://practiceexcelonline.com/#identity","@type":"Organization","name":"PracticeExcel","url":"https://practiceexcelonline.com/","logo":{"@id":"https://practiceexcelonline.com/#logo"}},{"@id":"https://practiceexcelonline.com/#website","@type":"WebSite","inLanguage":"en-US","name":"PracticeExcel","url":"https://practiceexcelonline.com/","alternateName":["Practice Excel Online","PracticeExcelOnline.com"],"publisher":{"@id":"https://practiceexcelonline.com/#identity"},"workTranslation":{"@id":"https://excelopgaver.dk/#website"}},{"@id":"https://practiceexcelonline.com/functions/sort#webpage","description":"How to use SORT in Excel 365 and Google Sheets: a sorted copy of your data that updates by itself, by any column, up or down.","name":"SORT function in Excel: syntax and examples","url":"https://practiceexcelonline.com/functions/sort","@type":["WebPage","FAQPage"],"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://practiceexcelonline.com/functions/sort#breadcrumb"},"isPartOf":{"@id":"https://practiceexcelonline.com/#website"},"mainEntity":[{"@id":"https://practiceexcelonline.com/functions/sort#/schema/question/1"},{"@id":"https://practiceexcelonline.com/functions/sort#/schema/question/2"}],"potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https://practiceexcelonline.com/functions/sort"]}],"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https://practiceexcelonline.com/#logo"}},{"@id":"https://practiceexcelonline.com/functions/sort#breadcrumb","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","name":"Home","item":"https://practiceexcelonline.com","position":1},{"@type":"ListItem","name":"Excel functions","item":"https://practiceexcelonline.com/functions","position":2},{"@type":"ListItem","name":"SORT function in Excel: syntax and examples","position":3}]},{"@id":"https://practiceexcelonline.com/functions/sort#article","description":"How to use SORT in Excel 365 and Google Sheets: a sorted copy of your data that updates by itself, by any column, up or down.","headline":"SORT function in Excel: syntax and examples","inLanguage":"en-US","thumbnailUrl":"https://practiceexcelonline.com/_og/d/c_Page%2Ctitle_~U09SVCBmdW5jdGlvbiBpbiBFeGNlbDogc3ludGF4IGFuZCBleGFtcGxlcw%2Cdescription_~SG93IHRvIHVzZSBTT1JUIGluIEV4Y2VsIDM2NSBhbmQgR29vZ2xlIFNoZWV0czogYSBzb3J0ZWQgY29weSBvZiB5b3VyIGRhdGEgdGhhdCB1cGRhdGVzIGJ5IGl0c2VsZiwgYnkgYW55IGNvbHVtbiwgdXAgb3IgZG93bi4%2Ceyebrow_Excel%2Bfunctions%2Csite_practiceexcel%2Ccode_~U09SVChhcnJheSwgW3NvcnRfaW5kZXhdLCBbc29ydF9vcmRlcl0sIFtieV9jb2xdKQ%2Cp_Ii9mdW5jdGlvbnMvc29ydCI%2Cs_4kquZomZ-lVQ-fsu.png","@type":["Article","TechArticle"],"author":{"@id":"https://practiceexcelonline.com/#identity"},"image":{"@id":"https://practiceexcelonline.com/#/schema/image/1"},"isPartOf":{"@id":"https://practiceexcelonline.com/functions/sort#webpage"},"mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https://practiceexcelonline.com/functions/sort#webpage"},"publisher":{"@id":"https://practiceexcelonline.com/#identity"}},{"@id":"https://practiceexcelonline.com/functions/sort#/schema/question/1","@type":"Question","inLanguage":"en-US","name":"Why does SORT return","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"The sorted result needs empty cells to spill into, and something is in the way. 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