In Excel: select one cell in the table, choose Data ▸ Sort, tick My data has headers, pick the column and order, and expand the selection so whole rows move together.
On this page7
Click inside the table or select the full range.
Open Data ▸ Sort and confirm the header setting.
Choose the sort column, sort on Values and pick the order.
Add levels for secondary sorting and verify the full range moved together.
What this does
Sorting reorders rows by one or more columns. The key safety rule is that whole records must move together; sorting a single column by itself can detach names, dates and amounts from one another. Dates sort correctly only when Excel recognizes them as real dates, not text. Start from the symptom: note the exact message or behaviour, when it appears and which file it affects. That separates a cause in this workbook from a setting, a protection state or a product limit. For “excel sort by date not working”, the reliable version is a short checking loop, not just the first command that appears to work. Run it on a deliberately small range first, watch how the affected cells change, and only then apply the same setup to the full sheet. When this is a ribbon command, the selection matters more than the button: confirm the range, apply the command, then spot-check the output before saving. That is what makes a data step that keeps your analysis trustworthy useful in real work: repeatable, auditable, and not dependent on memory or luck.
A worked example
A table has Customer, Date and Amount. Click inside it, choose Data ▸ Sort, tick My data has headers, sort by Date from Oldest to Newest, then add a level for Amount largest to smallest. Each row stays intact while the table order changes. Sorting is simple but high-risk: done correctly it reveals order and priority; done on the wrong range it corrupts the dataset. Change one thing at a time and re-check the symptom after each step, so you know which fix actually worked.
In Google Sheets
This is a command rather than a formula, so there is no syntax to carry over. Google Sheets arranges its commands in menus across the top instead of a ribbon, names some of them differently and does not have every Excel command — look for the equivalent in the Sheets menus or its help before assuming the steps match. Nothing on this page is behind a login or a download: the exact answer is at the top, and the detail below it is there for when you need it. That is the whole promise here — the answer first, and just enough context to make it stick. The short version of “excel sort by date not working”: identify the exact symptom, check the listed causes one at a time, and keep a copy of the file until the fix is confirmed.
Common mistakes
- Sorting only one column and corrupting row relationships.
- Sorting dates stored as text, which can order alphabetically instead of chronologically.
- Leaving blank rows that split the detected table range.
- Forgetting to include hidden rows if they should be sorted too.
Frequently asked questions
How do I sort by date?
Make sure the values are real dates, then Data ▸ Sort by that date column.
How do I sort columns left to right?
Use Sort Options and choose Sort left to right.
Why did my rows get mixed up?
Only one column was sorted. Undo and sort the whole table range.
Other ways people ask this
On the way here you may have searched this as “excel sorting by date not working” and “excel date sort not working” — it is all the same task, and this page is the single, complete answer to it.
Why do people search for this in so many different ways?
Because the same task has many names. “excel sorting by date not working”, “excel date sort not working” all point at the one operation explained on this page, which is why they all lead here.