Multi-level sorting made possible in Microsoft Word

 Jun 16, 2014

Did you know that in Microsoft Word, you can sort your information up to 3 levels? This means that when all things are equal in the first column then it will do a second level sort on the second column you specify, and then when all things are equal in that column it will further sort by the third specified column. In the example below, I want to sort my lists by the 'Job Role' followed by the 'Name' and then by the 'Location.' If I did a single level sort then it would probably sort alphabetically by name. When you do a multi-level sort, for example, it allows you to group items and then sort alphabetically.

Sorting lists made possible in Microsoft Word

How to sort by one level

  1. Select the list in question that you want to sort, and click the 'Sort' button in the 'Paragraph' group.
  2. In the first drop-down list, look to see if it says 'Field 1' or if it uses the headings (e.g. 'Name'). If it says 'Field 1' then click the radio button next to 'My list has' that says 'Header Row.'  You should notice it now uses the column headings rather than 'Field 1.'
  3. Make sure to choose what you want it sorted by for (e.g. Name) and then click OK.
  4. It should look like the list below now sorted alphabetically by Name.

Sorting lists made possible in Microsoft Word

How to sort by two levels

  1. Repeat the steps 1-3 above but instead, change the first drop-down field to sort by 'Job Role.'
  2. In the second drop-down field, select 'Name' and then click OK.
  3. It should now look like this:

Sorting lists made possible in Microsoft Word

How to sort by three levels

  1. Again, follow the same steps 1-3 as above, but leave the first drop-down to sort by 'Job Role.'
  2. Change the second drop-down field to 'Location.'
  3. Change the third drop-down field to 'Name' and then click OK.
  4. It should now look like this:

Sorting lists made possible in Microsoft Word

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About the Author:

Liz French  

With over 7 years of experience as a trainer, and an extensive skill set that spans across the entire Microsoft Office suite of applications, Liz brings an incredible amount of knowledge, expertise and care to each course she delivers. Having worked as a tutor in the education sector for many years prior to her career at New Horizons, Liz has gained an extensive amount of experience in providing training to individuals and groups of varying skill levels. As a certified Microsoft Office Master, Liz is a highly capable trainer who possesses the ability to connect with students of all levels and backgrounds in order to help improve their skills across a wide range of common Desktop Applications.

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