Sort Tables in Google Docs™, Slides™, and Sheets™
Sort one selected table or range by a column in ascending or descending order while keeping header rows in place and blank values at the bottom.
Sort Table reorders complete data rows using one column as the sort key. Use it for names, dates, amounts, statuses, or any other column without separating the values from the rest of each row.
Choose how many rows at the top are headers, and those rows stay where they are. Blank values remain at the bottom in both ascending and descending sorts.
Отримати додаток безкоштовно
Text To Table Converter
Install Text To Table Converter free to sort selected tables in Google Docs™, Google Slides™, and Google Sheets™.
Works in Docs, Slides, and Sheets
Place the cursor in one table in Docs, select one table in Slides, or select one rectangular range in Sheets before opening Sort Table.
On this pageTry it with a team directory
Try it with a team directory
The canonical Team Directory example starts out of alphabetical order. Copy the tab-separated data below into Google Sheets, or use Text to Table to turn it into a table in Google Docs or Slides.
Name Department Office Contact
Clara Lee Finance Zurich clara.lee@example.com
David Kim Marketing Lisbon david.kim@example.com
Alice Johnson HR Berlin alice.johnson@example.com
Bob Smith IT Madrid bob.smith@example.com
Erin Wu Support Taipei erin.wu@example.com
Farah Hassan Sales Dubai farah.hassan@example.comПроведіть убік, щоб побачити всі стовпці
| Name | Department | Office | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clara Lee | Finance | Zurich | clara.lee@example.com |
| David Kim | Marketing | Lisbon | david.kim@example.com |
| Alice Johnson | HR | Berlin | alice.johnson@example.com |
| Bob Smith | IT | Madrid | bob.smith@example.com |
| Erin Wu | Support | Taipei | erin.wu@example.com |
| Farah Hassan | Sales | Dubai | farah.hassan@example.com |
Sort the table by name
- 1Select the full table. In Google Docs, placing the cursor inside the table is enough; in Sheets, select cells A1:D7.
- 2Open Text To Table Converter. In the sidebar, choose Tables & Convert > Modify selected table > Sort Table. You can also choose Extensions > Text To Table Converter > Modify Table > Sort Table.
- 3Choose Column 1 — Name under Sort by.
- 4Choose Ascending and set Header rows to 1.
- 5In Docs or Slides, choose Text as the value type. Google Sheets uses the native value type of each cell.
- 6Click Sort table.
Check the result
The Name header stays at the top, and each person’s department, office, and contact information moves with their name.
- Alice Johnson
- Bob Smith
- Clara Lee
- David Kim
- Erin Wu
- Farah Hassan
Equal values keep their order
If two rows have the same value in the sort column, Sort Table keeps those rows in their original relative order.
Choose the right value type
Google Sheets sorts with the native values stored in its cells. In Docs and Slides, choose how Sort Table should interpret the selected column.
Проведіть убік, щоб побачити всі стовпці
| Value type | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Auto | Let Sort Table detect numbers or dates; otherwise sort as text. |
| Text | Names, departments, labels, IDs, and mixed text. |
| Number | Amounts, scores, quantities, percentages, and other numeric values. |
| Date | Date columns written in a consistent, valid date format. |
Invalid numbers or dates
Number and Date modes stop without sorting when a non-empty value cannot be parsed. Correct the value or choose another value type.
What moves in each Google editor
- Google Docs: complete copied rows move together, including cell content and formatting.
- Google Slides: rich text and links move between row positions; table geometry and cell styling remain attached to their original positions.
- Google Sheets: the selected range uses the native Sheets sort so formulas, dates, and numbers retain standard Sheets behavior.
Limits and troubleshooting
- Sort Table uses one sort column at a time.
- Exactly one table or rectangular range must be selected.
- Keep at least two data rows below the configured header rows.
- Merged cells are not supported. Uneven table rows in Google Docs are also rejected.
- Blank values stay at the bottom for both ascending and descending sorts.
- If the selected table changes while Sort Table is open, click Refresh and review the options before sorting.
- If the table is already in the requested order, the sidebar confirms that no changes were needed.