Alphabetize in Google Docs
Google Docs is very useful, easy to use, and powerful. But, on occasion, more advanced functions are hard to find! See below for how to alphabetize your documents in Google Docs.
Contents
Steps
Alphabetizing in Google Spreadsheets
- If you have a header row that you don't want to alphabetize, freeze it so it doesn't get messed up in the sorting.
- Go to the View tab, and select row(s) or column(s) you'd like to freeze.
- Select a cell in the column that you want to alphabetize.
- Select the Data tab at the top of the spreadsheet.
- Unlike in Microsoft Excel, the menu is inside the browser window. You may have a menu at the top of the page, but that is not it.
- The top selection of the data tab says, "Sort sheet by Column A, A to Z." Choose that.
- Done!
Alphabetizing on Multiple Columns
- Use this if you want to sort multiple columns in the same spreadsheet. For example, you might want to sort by first name first, then last name, then city.)
- Select the data you wish to sort. Be careful that you don't miss anything, as this can create errors within your spreadsheet.
- Choose which column to the sort by first (e.g., last name or first name are both possible.). Sort by the columns you want, but choosing the first one as your column to sort on. In this case, that would be the column with first names. Click on "sort range" then choose if "A-Z" or "Z-A" and press "Sort."
- Choose "add another sort column" and choose the next column you'd like to sort by.
- Add other sort columns as needed. Click "Sort range" to complete the sorting.
Alphabetizing in Google Documents
- Surprisingly, you are not able to alphabetize in a Google document (!). You need to use a different program to do it.
- Copy your entire document.
- Command A, Command C if you are using a mac. Control A, Control C if you are using a PC.
- Paste into Microsoft Word or a Google Spreadsheet (see above) and alphabetize in there.
- Put it back into your Google Document all sorted and nice.
