How to use SORT in Excel
Sorts a range. The result spills down.
Syntax
arrayA range[sort_index]Which column to sort by optional[sort_order]1 for A→Z / small→large, -1 for the reverse optional[by_col] optionalExample
Here’s SORT on a small table of orders. The highlighted cells are the ones the formula reads.
=SORT(F2:F9,1,-1)Edit this formula live Change the ranges and watch the answer update. Free, no sign-up.
Common mistakes with SORT
-1 sorts descending
SORT(range,1,-1) puts the largest first. The second argument is which column to sort by.
It spills
Leave room below and to the right for the results.
What the error messages mean
Type these slips into Gridwise and this is the feedback you get:
Leaving off the closing bracket
=SORT(F2:F9,1,-1
Parentheses don’t match. You have 1 opening and 0 closing parentheses. Every ( needs a ).
Questions
What does the SORT function do in Excel?
Sorts a range. The result spills down. The syntax is SORT(array, [sort_index], [sort_order], [by_col]).
Why is my SORT formula giving the wrong answer?
-1 sorts descending: SORT(range,1,-1) puts the largest first. The second argument is which column to sort by. It spills: Leave room below and to the right for the results.
Does SORT work in Google Sheets?
Most Excel functions, including the core ones on this page, work the same way in Google Sheets. A few newer functions arrived in Sheets later or behave slightly differently, so test it on your own data.