Sort, filter & chart your data in Google Sheets

Sorting, filtering and charts help you make sense of lists such as sales, stock or customer records. Before you start, give each column a heading in row 1 and freeze it with View > Freeze > 1 row.

Sort your data

Sorting puts rows in order, for example from the highest sale to the lowest.

1. Select the cells you want to sort, including the heading row.
2. Click Data > Sort range > Advanced range sorting options.
3. Tick Data has header row so the headings stay at the top.
4. Choose the column to sort by and the order (A to Z or Z to A). Click Add another sort column to sort by a second column as well.
5. Click Sort.

To sort the whole sheet by one column, right-click the column letter at the top and choose Sort sheet A to Z or Sort sheet Z to A.

Filter your data

A filter hides the rows you do not need, for example to show only one salesperson or one month.

1. Select your data, including the heading row.
2. Click Data > Create a filter. A filter icon appears in each heading.
3. Click the filter icon in the column you want to filter.
4. Choose how to filter:
   • Filter by values: untick the values you want to hide.
   • Filter by condition: for example, show only numbers greater than 1,000.
   • Filter by color: show only cells of a certain text or fill colour.
5. Click OK.

The bottom right of the sheet shows how many rows are displayed. To remove the filter, click Data > Remove filter.

Use a filter view that only changes your screen

A normal filter changes the sheet for everyone who has it open. A filter view lets you filter for yourself without disturbing your colleagues.

1. Click Data > Create filter view.
2. Sort and filter the data as above.
3. To keep the view for next time, click Save View at the top right, then Save.

To open a saved view later, click Data > Change view and pick it. Click Close at the top right to return to the full sheet.

Make a simple chart

Google Sheets suggests a chart type based on your data, and you can change it afterwards.

1. Select the data for the chart, including the headings. For example, months in column A and sales in column B.
2. Click Insert > Chart. The chart appears with the Chart editor on the right.
3. On the Setup tab, choose a Chart type, such as a column, line or pie chart.
4. On the Customize tab, click Chart & axis title to add a title.
5. Close the Chart editor when you are done. Drag the chart to move it, or drag the blue corners to resize it.

The chart updates by itself when the numbers change. To edit it later, double-click it. To analyse data or build formulas with AI, see Gemini in Google Sheets.

Still stuck

WhatsApp our support team at +60 16-916 3324.

Common issues

When I filter, my colleagues see the filtered sheet too. How do I stop that?

A normal filter changes the view for everyone. Use Data > Create filter view instead. A filter view only changes what you see, so others can keep working on the full list.

Create a filter is greyed out. Why?

Check for merged cells or hidden rows and columns in your data and undo them. Rules under Format > Conditional formatting or Data > Data validation can also block it. If you only have view access, use a filter view instead.

My chart does not include new rows I added. How do I fix it?

Double-click the chart, go to Setup and change Data range so it covers the new rows. Tip: set the range to the whole column, such as A1:B1000, so new rows are included automatically.

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