How to sort a list of column by character length in Excel?

Sorting data by character length can be a helpful technique when working with lists that need organization based on the number of characters in each entry. For example, you might want to arrange names, product codes, or descriptions from shortest to longest or vice versa. In this guide, we'll walk you through some easy methods to sort a column by character length in Excel.

Sort a list of column by character length with a helper column

Sort a list of column by character length with Kutools for Excel

Sort a list of column by character length with SORTBY function （Excel 365 / Excel 2021 and later version）

Sort a list of column by character length with a helper column

There is no direct function to sort a list of column by character length, so you need to use a help column to count the number of the strings first, then sort them.

1. Beside the value column, enter this =LEN(A1) formula in a blank cell B1, see screenshot:

2. Then press Enter key and you will get the number of the text string, then select cell B1 and drag the fill handle to the range that you want to contain this formula.

3. All the number of strings in Column A have been extracted in Column B, and then you can sort this range in Column B by clicking Data > Sort, see screenshot:

4. In the Sort Warning prompt box, check Expand the selection option, and then click Sort button.

5. And then in the Sort dialog box, select Column B that you want to sort by, and choose the type that you need to sort on, at last choose the sort order, here we select Values in the Sort On drop-down list and Smallest to Largest in Order drop-down list. See screenshot:

6. Then click OK, and the strings have been sorted by the character length. You can delete the Column B as you need. See screenshot:

Sort a list of column by character length with Kutools for Excel

Sorting a column by character length in Excel can be tedious if you're relying on formulas and manual steps. Kutools for Excel simplifies this process with its powerful Advanced Sort feature.This feature surpasses basic sorting by providing a variety of powerful options to effortlessly organize your data. Whether it’s sorting by last name, frequency, month, or more, this tool streamlines even the most complex sorting tasks.

1. Select the list you want to sort by the character length, and click Kutools Plus > Sort > Advanced Sort to open the Advanced Sort dialog box;
2. In the dialog box, select the column your list in, and choose Text length from the Sort On drop down list, and specify the Order you need. (If your selected list has header, check My data has headers box.)
3. Click OK button.

   

Result:

Now, you can see the list of data has been sort on character length, see screenshot:

Sort a list of column by character length with SORTBY function （Excel 365 / Excel 2021 and later version）

With Excel 365 or Excel 2021 and later versions, the SORTBY function provides a simple and dynamic way to achieve this. In this section, we’ll show you step-by-step how to use the SORTBY function to sort a column by character length efficiently.

Enter the below formula into a blank cell to put the result, then, press Enter key, and Excel will dynamically sort the data by character length. See screenshot:

=SORTBY(A2:A13,LEN(A2:A13),1)

In this guide, we explored three effective methods to sort a column by character length in Excel, each method has its unique advantages, catering to different Excel versions and user needs. If you're interested in exploring more Excel tips and tricks, our website offers thousands of tutorials.

Related article:

How to sort cells by absolute values in Excel?