To unsort a column in Google Sheets, you would ideally need to have a strategy in place before sorting, as Google Sheets doesn't have a built-in "unsort" feature.
Here are some methods you can use to restore your data to its original order:
Immediately after sorting, you can simply press Ctrl + Z (on Windows) or Cmd + Z (on Mac) to undo the sorting action.
Add a Backup Column: Before you sort your data, insert a new column next to your data.
Fill with Sequential Numbers: In this new column, fill it with a sequence of numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.), which will serve as an index of the original order. Below is an example:
Sort Your Data: Perform your sorting on the desired columns. In our example, we want to sort the data in Column B alphabetically, so we would sort Column B from A to Z.
Revert to Original Order: To revert to the original order, simply sort the entire dataset again based on the backup column with sequential numbers. Highlight the range again, including the indexing column. Go back to Data > Sort range. This time, sort by Column A (your indexing column), from A to Z.
This will return your data to its original order.
Google Sheets automatically saves different versions of your spreadsheet as you make changes. To access the version history, click on File > Version history > See version history. You can then select a previous version before the sort was applied and restore it.
You can also simply click the clock icon at the top right to access the version history.
Note: The Undo feature and the indexing column method are the most straightforward. Always consider adding an indexing column before performing sorts if you anticipate needing to revert the changes. This method is proactive and can save you time and hassle, especially with large or complex datasets.
We hope that this article has helped you and given you a better understanding of how to unsort in Google Sheets. If you enjoyed this article, you might also like our articles on how to work out a suggestion mode in Google Sheets and how to add a watermark in Google Sheets.
