When things are organized, they are much easier to find which results in you saving some valuable time. Organizing also saves a lot of the stress that comes with not being able to see what you need when you are in a hurry.
These days many people have thousands of files on their computer or in a digital storage program. Imagine trying to find one file among thousands. Now imagine if those files are not organized. It’s a cause for major frustration. Learn how you can alphabetize your documents in Google Docs.
Also read: How to Research and Cite Articles in Google Docs
How to Alphabetize Your Files in Google Docs
Google Docs still has no built-in sort command, and older sorting add-ons from the Extensions menu are no longer reliable. The dependable fix is to borrow the sort tool from Google Sheets, which takes less than a minute.
First, open your document and make sure each item you want to sort is on its own line (a list, names, glossary terms, and so on). Highlight those lines and press Ctrl + C (Cmd + C on a Mac) to copy them.
Next, open a blank spreadsheet in Google Sheets (typing sheets.new into your browser’s address bar is the fastest way). Click cell A1 and paste with Ctrl + Shift + V (Cmd + Shift + V on a Mac) to paste plain text. Each line from your document lands in its own row in column A.
Click the column A header to select the column, then go to Data -> Sort sheet -> Sort sheet by column A (A to Z). Choose Z to A instead if you want reverse order.
Finally, select the sorted cells, copy them, switch back to your document, and paste them over the original lines. Paste with Ctrl + Shift + V again if you want the text to pick up your document’s existing formatting rather than appearing as a table.
Tip: if your items are bulleted or numbered, the bullets and numbers usually don’t come across when you copy. Paste the sorted lines back in, select them, and reapply the list style from the toolbar.
How to Alphabetize Your Google Spreadsheet Documents
Google Sheets doesn’t need any workaround, because sorting is built in.
Highlight the column you want to have in alphabetical order and click on the “Data” option at the top. Choose “Sort range,” and pick either A to Z or Z to A to sort the selection alphabetically or in reverse.
You can even alphabetize multiple columns simultaneously to save yourself some valuable time. Drag and select the columns in question and click on Data -> Sort range -> Advanced range sorting options.
At the top you’ll see the columns you selected; make sure you didn’t pick an extra column. Click on the “Add another sort column” option, and choose whether you want to sort that column in alphabetical order or reverse. When you think you’ve covered all the columns you want, click on the blue Sort button.
Conclusion
Keeping things organized is always the best way, but it’s something you may not end up doing until it’s absolutely necessary. If you ever need to order your file content in alphabetical order, now you know how.