If you would like to sort your data differently, and not in ascending or descending order using the Sort feature in Microsoft® Excel®, you can customize it! The Custom Lists feature allows you to define your own order. For example, if a Sales Manager wants to sort product categories in a specific order instead of dates, they can do so using Custom Lists.
Note: Download the workbook to practice this exercise
Applies To: Microsoft® Excel® 2007, 2010 and 2013
- We will create a custom list for the sales transactions data.
- Highlight the data range A5:A9 as below.
- Select File then Options.
- Select Advanced and thereafter Edit Custom Lists as shown below.
- Then import the list by clicking on Import and OK.
- The list is imported from the data range A5:A9 in the spreadsheet.
- You can also type the custom list by entering under list entries and clicking Add.
- After you click Import the list will be displayed as below.
- Click OK and OK again.
- To sort by the custom list, click on the Data tab then Sort.
- Select Category Name and Custom List as shown below.
- Then select the custom list that shows Dairy Products, Beverages etc. Then click OK.
The list will be sorted in a customised order with Dairy Products appearing on top of the list. You can also use custom lists to sort the months or days in chronological order and not alphabetically.
