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How to Sort Excel by One Column While Keeping Duplicate Orders Together

Khadija Khan Oct 10, 2026 871 views

Question details

The user wants to sort spreadsheet data by a specific column without breaking apart grouped rows that share identical duplicate values (such as purchase order numbers) in another column.

How to Sort Excel by One Column While Keeping Duplicate Orders Together

Product: Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Organizing data efficiently by applying a secondary sort while maintaining the integrity of primary grouped records.
Observed behavior: When applying a standard sort to a single column, grouped duplicate values in adjacent columns become disorganized and separated.

Before you start

Ensure your dataset contains clear column headers and that there are no entirely blank rows or columns interrupting your data range before applying a multi-level sort.

Solution 1Recommended

Use Custom Multi-Level Sort to Keep Grouped Data Intact

Applying a multi-level sort allows you to set a primary column to keep your duplicates together, and a secondary column to sort the data within those grouped duplicates.

To prevent rows from becoming mismatched, it is crucial to select your entire dataset rather than just a single column before opening the sort menu.

Select the entire data range

Highlight your complete table, ensuring you include every related column so that rows remain intact during the sorting process.

Open the Sort dialog box

Navigate to the Data tab on the top ribbon and click on the 'Sort' button to open the Custom Sort dialog.

Set the primary sort level

In the 'Sort by' dropdown, select the column containing your duplicate values (e.g., Purchase Order number). This ensures identical records stay grouped.

Add a secondary sort level

Click the 'Add Level' button. In the new 'Then by' dropdown, select the secondary column you wish to sort by (e.g., Column B).

Confirm and apply

Ensure the 'My data has headers' box is checked if your selection includes titles. Click 'OK' to apply the multi-level sort.

Use Custom Multi-Level Sort to Keep Grouped Data Intact

Important: Never sort just a single column if it is adjacent to other related data. Doing so will permanently scramble the relationship between your data points.

Efficient Data Management

Easily Sort Complex Data with WPS Spreadsheet

WPS Office Spreadsheet provides an intuitive Custom Sort interface that makes grouping duplicate records and applying secondary sorts incredibly simple. It operates just like Microsoft Excel, allowing for a seamless transition.

1. Open your file in WPS Spreadsheet: Launch WPS Office and open the document containing the data you want to sort.
2. Highlight your data table: Select the entire range of data, making sure all related columns are highlighted.
3. Access Custom Sort: Go to the 'Data' tab and select 'Custom Sort' from the menu.
4. Configure multiple sort levels: Set your primary grouping column, click 'Add Level', choose your secondary sorting column, and click 'OK'.

Easily apply up to 64 levels of custom sorting to organize complex data.Fully compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx, .xls) file formats without layout loss.Free, lightweight, and user-friendly interface available on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did my rows get mixed up after sorting?

If you only highlight one column to sort instead of the entire table, the software will only sort that specific column, breaking the connection to adjacent data. Always select the full range or let the software automatically expand the selection.

Can I add more than two sorting levels?

Yes, you can add multiple levels in the Custom Sort dialog box to further organize your data into sub-categories. Both Excel and WPS Spreadsheet support up to 64 sorting levels.

How do I sort by color while keeping duplicates together?

In the Custom Sort dialog box, add a sorting level and change the 'Sort On' dropdown from 'Cell Values' to 'Cell Color' or 'Font Color'. You can combine this with a primary sort level based on text values.

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