How to Sort Columns in Excel

Sorting rearranges rows so a column runs A–Z, Z–A, smallest to largest, or largest to smallest. Excel will happily sort one column and leave the others behind if you select only that column — that is the usual way a table gets scrambled.

Method 1: Data tab (the everyday sort)

Click a single cell inside the column you want to sort — not the whole column, one cell
Data → A–Z (ascending) or Z–A (descending)
If Excel asks "Expand the selection?", choose Expand. That keeps each row together

Custom sort (two keys, e.g. Region then Amount):

Click inside the table
Data → Sort
Add a level for Region (A–Z), then a level for Amount (Largest to Smallest)
Tick My data has headers if row 1 is labels

Always expand the selection. Sorting one column in isolation is how "Lee" ends up next to someone else's order total.

Method 2: SORT function (Microsoft 365 / Excel 2021)

SORT spills a new sorted copy and leaves the source alone. That is the version you can practice in the browser, because it is a formula.

=SORT(A2:A6)

Sorts the names (or numbers) in A2:A6 ascending and spills the result down from the formula cell.

Descending:

=SORT(A2:A6,,-1)

The third argument is 1 for ascending (default) or -1 for descending.

Sort a whole block by the second column:

=SORT(A2:C6, 2, 1)

2 means "use column 2 of the array as the key." Amounts in column B, names in A, regions in C — this sorts the rows by amount, smallest first, and returns all three columns.

SORT vs the Data tab

	Data tab	SORT function
Edits the source	Yes	No — spills a copy
Updates when data changes	No	Yes
Works in Excel 2019	Yes	No
Good for a one-off cleanup	Yes	Overkill
Good for a dashboard	No	Yes

Sort left to right (by a row, not a column)

Rare, but useful for wide month columns:

Data → Sort → Options → Sort left to right
Choose the row that holds the sort key

The SORT function can do this with its fourth argument set to TRUE (sort by row).

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I sort a column in Excel without mixing up the rows?

Click one cell in the column, press A–Z, and choose Expand the selection if Excel asks. Do not highlight only that column first.

How do I sort by two columns?

Data → Sort → Add Level. First key is the group (Region), second key is the tie-break (Amount).

Why did only one column sort?

You selected that column before clicking A–Z, and chose "Continue with the current selection." Undo, click a single cell, try again, and expand.

What is the Excel SORT function?

=SORT(range, [sort_index], [order]) returns a live sorted copy of a range. It requires Microsoft 365 or Excel 2021. Older Excel uses the Data tab only.