If Excel ignores your custom order, first check that you selected the custom list in the Sort dialog’s Order setting for the correct column. Creating a list does not automatically apply it to every sort. The steps below cover ordinary worksheet ranges and tables in Windows Microsoft 365 and Excel 2024, 2021, 2019, and 2016; Excel for Mac uses a different settings path, and PivotTables behave differently after refresh.
Make sure the sort is using your custom list
A quick A-to-Z sort is not the same as sorting by a custom list. In Windows desktop Excel, use the full Sort dialog:
- Select a cell in the column you want to sort.
- Go to Data > Sort.
- Under Sort by, choose the intended column.
- Under Order, choose Custom List, select the desired list, and confirm.
Microsoft recommends using headings for columns. In the Sort dialog, check that Excel recognizes the first row as a header; otherwise, it may sort a heading as data or treat a data row as a heading. See Microsoft’s instructions for sorting data using a custom list and its guidance on sorting a range or table.
Check that the custom list exists and is in the right order
Excel includes built-in weekday and month lists. You can also create a list such as High, Medium, Low or Large, Medium, Small. Enter items in the exact order you want Excel to use.
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Windows: type a short list or import a worksheet range
- Type the entries: Open File > Options > Advanced. Under General, select Edit Custom Lists. Choose NEW LIST, enter the values in List entries in order, and add the list.
- Import an existing sequence: Put each item in a separate worksheet cell, top to bottom in the desired order. Select the range, then open File > Options > Advanced > General > Edit Custom Lists. Check the range in Import list from cells, select Import, and verify the resulting list.
Mac: use Custom Lists preferences
Microsoft’s Excel for Mac instructions place list creation under Excel > Preferences > Custom Lists, then Add. To apply it, select Custom List under Order in the Sort dialog. Menu wording can differ by release; follow the closest corresponding option in your version. See Microsoft’s Excel for Mac sorting instructions.
Check the list contents and limits
Custom lists can contain text or text mixed with numbers. For a numeric-only custom list, Microsoft’s instruction is to format the values as text first. Microsoft also says a custom list can contain up to 255 characters and its first character must not begin with a number. Built-in lists cannot be edited or deleted. For list-management steps, see Microsoft’s guide to creating or deleting a custom list.
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Rule out selection, headers, and inconsistent data
If the list is correct but the result still looks wrong, inspect the data and the selected range before rebuilding the list.
- Confirm the selected range: If Excel asks whether to expand the selection, expand it when adjacent columns belong to the same records. That keeps each row’s values together. Sorting only one column can separate values from their related row data.
- Verify the header setting: Make sure the first row is treated as a header only if it actually contains headings.
- Check values that look alike but have different types: Numbers stored as text may sort differently from numeric values. Normalize the data type if those entries should be treated alike.
- Remove unwanted leading spaces: Extra spaces can affect sorting, particularly in PivotTables.
Microsoft warns that mixed number-and-text data can produce unexpected sort results. Its range and table sorting guidance covers sort selection and data behavior; the PivotTable sorting guidance also flags leading spaces.
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Understand what happens when you move a workbook
Custom-list settings are stored on the computer where you create them. Microsoft says that when you use a custom list to sort data, the list is also saved with the workbook. As a result, on another computer, the saved list may appear in the Sort dialog’s Order choices even if it does not appear in that computer’s Custom Lists settings.
If you also need the list available in the other computer’s settings—for example, for filling data—add it there through that computer’s Custom Lists settings. The distinction between a workbook-saved sort list and a locally stored list is described in Microsoft’s custom-list help.
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PivotTable custom sorts can change after refresh
A PivotTable does not retain a custom-list sort order after it is updated. Microsoft Support states: “A custom list sort order is not retained when you update (refresh) your PivotTable.” After refresh, you may need to reapply or adjust the PivotTable’s sorting behavior. Microsoft’s PivotTable and PivotChart sorting guide explains manual sorting, automatic sort options, and first-key sort-order controls.
Older Excel workbook compatibility
In the Excel 97–2003 workbook format, custom-list sorts do not work the same way as in newer formats. Microsoft documents changing the sort state or grouping and sorting the data manually as compatibility workarounds. See Microsoft’s sorting and filtering compatibility notes.
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