» Sorting Rules & List Structure

List structure

The List should have only one header row.
Do not leave any empty cells in any cell of the header row.
Do not leave empty rows in the data area.

Selecting ranges

Do not select a column or a row in a List before sorting; instead, select only a single cell. Clicking the Sort icon automatically sorts the entire List and the data will be sorted according to the selected cell's field.

Formulas

Be careful when sorting data if there are formulas in the cells. Sorting data linked by formulas to other cells, or to cells in other sheets, could distort the calculations. Be meticulous when sorting a List containing linked formulas and defined Names (which are defined with absolute references by default), or with formulas that have absolute references.
Inserting a sequence column to restore the original order
Insert an additional column into the data List with ascending numbers (that is, 1, 2, 3, and so on) before sorting the data (do not use a formula). If a List includes a column with consecutive dates, use this column as the first sorting column.