When working with large sets of data in Microsoft Excel, it becomes difficult to find or analyze specific information manually.
Sorting in Excel means arranging your data in a specific order — either alphabetically, numerically, or by date.
For example, if you have a list of students with their marks, you can sort them:
- From highest to lowest marks, or
- Alphabetically by student name
Types of Data Sorting in Excel
There are mainly two ways to sort data in MS Excel:
This sorts your data from the lowest to highest value.
Example:
| Name | Marks |
| Rahul | 95 |
| Ankit | 80 |
| Sneha | 90 |
After Ascending Sort (Smallest to Largest):
| Name | Marks |
| Ankit | 80 |
| Sneha | 90 |
| Rahul | 95 |
This sorts data from highest to lowest value.
Example:
Using the same table above, after Descending Sort, Excel will display:
| Name | Marks |
| Rahul | 95 |
| Sneha | 90 |
| Ankit | 80 |
Advanced Sorting Options
You can also perform multi-level sorting:
- Sort first by Department
- Then by Employee Name
- Finally by Salary
This gives better control when working with large datasets.
Benefits of Sorting in Excel
1 Helps organize data neatly
2 Makes analysis faster
3 Highlights top or bottom performers
4 Useful in reports, attendance lists, and sales records
What is Filter in MS Excel?
Filtering in Excel helps you display only the data you need while hiding the rest temporarily.
It doesn’t delete any information — it just hides rows that don’t match your selected criteria.
When you enable a filter, small drop-down arrows appear beside each column header.
You can use them to select, deselect, or search for specific data.
Example of Using Filter in Excel
| Product | Category | Price |
| Laptop | Electronics | 50000 |
| Chair | Furniture | 3000 |
| Mouse | Electronics | 500 |
| Table | Furniture | 2500 |
Goal:
You want to show only Electronics items.
Steps:
- Select your data range
- Go to Home → Sort & Filter → Filter
- Click the drop-down arrow in the Category column
- Uncheck all, then select Electronics
- Click OK
Result:
Only rows with “Electronics” appear on screen — Laptop and Mouse.
Types of Filters in Excel
- Text Filter
Used for text-based columns.
Options include:
- Equals
- Does Not Equal
- Begins With
- Ends With
- Contains
Example: Filter all names starting with “A”.
- Number Filter
Used for numeric columns.
Options include:
- Greater Than
- Less Than
- Between
- Top 10
Example: Show only products with prices greater than ₹1000.
- Date Filter
Used for columns with date entries.
Options include:
- Before / After a specific date
- This Month / Last Month
- Between two dates
Example: Filter all sales entries for September 2025 only.
Advanced Filtering
You can use the Advanced Filter (from the Data Tab) for complex conditions — such as filtering by multiple criteria or copying results to another location.
Difference Between Sorting and Filtering
| Feature | Sorting | Filtering |
| Purpose | Arranges data in order | Displays selected data only |
| Effect | Reorders all rows | Hides unwanted rows |
| Use Case | Ranking students by marks | Viewing only Electronics products |
| Data Loss | No | No (hidden, not deleted) |
Conclusion
Both Sorting and Filtering are essential tools for managing and analyzing data in Excel.
While sorting helps you arrange information systematically, filtering helps you focus only on the relevant data.