Table of Contents
Sorting two columns in Excel to match each other allows you to arrange the data in a logical and organized manner. This process involves selecting both columns and applying a sorting function to align the data in a specific order, such as alphabetical or numerical. By doing so, the data in both columns will correspond and make it easier to compare and analyze the information. This feature is particularly useful when dealing with large datasets and can save time and effort in manually rearranging the data.
Excel: Sort Two Columns to Match
Often you may want to sort two columns in Excel such that the values in each corresponding row match each other.
For example, you may want to sort two lists of teams in Excel such that the two lists have matching team names in each row:
The following step-by-step example shows exactly how to do so.
Step 1: Enter the Values for the Two Columns
First, let’s enter the following two lists of basketball team names in separate columns:
Step 2: Use MATCH Function to Find Matching Row Values
Next, we will find the row number in Team List 2 in which each team name in Team List 1 appears.
To do so, type the following formula into cell B2:
=VLOOKUP(D2, $A$2:$B$16, 2, FALSE)
Then click and drag this formula down to each remaining cell in column B:
Note: You can find the complete documentation for the MATCH function in Excel .
Step 3: Sort First Column to Match Second Column
Next, highlight the cell range A2:B11, then click the Data tab along the top ribbon, then click the Sort icon:
Once you click OK, the team names in Team List 1 will be sorted to match the order of teams in Team List 2:
Feel free to delete the values in column B now:
Notice that the team names in each list are now in the exact same order.
Additional Resources
The following tutorials explain how to perform other common operations in Excel: