---
schema_version: "1"
id: 25bd561697e927a15779d49ce1c73668f10b7f7116b394dbc925768cc584fc12
title: Sorting Data
collection: tableau
version: current
locale: en-gb
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/tableau/current/en-gb/reader/desktop/reader_sort.md
canonical_url: https://help.tableau.com/current/reader/desktop/en-gb/reader_sort.htm
source_site: help.tableau.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: bddb072a7f4538914e4fdab0288bcb15b63d0dee605f395a183d33217542c448
description: In Reader you can sort items in a table based on a measure used in the view
---
[Skip to main content](#main-content)

# Sorting Data

In Reader you can sort items in a table based on a measure used in the view. Sorting gives you control over the order that dimension members are listed in a table and can often reveal relationships between fields.

#### To sort items in a table:

1. Select the items you want to sort.
2. Click one of the sort buttons ![](/tableau/current/en-gb/reader/desktop/en-gb/Img/quick_sort1_59x27.png) on the toolbar.

**Note:** The tool tips for the sort buttons tell you how the table is going to be sorted.

For example, click the Sort Ascending button to reorder the bars in the chart from lowest sales to highest sales, as shown below.

![](/tableau/current/en-gb/reader/desktop/en-gb/Img/rsort2_684x465.png)

You can also sort items by dragging the field labels in a column. In the example below, Regular Espresso is dragged to move below Mint. The new location is indicated by the black line.

![A sorted column.](/tableau/current/en-gb/reader/desktop/en-gb/Img/sortcolumn.png)

You can also manually sort items in the view using the Legend. To manually sort items do the following steps:

1. In the Legend, right-click anywhere in the white space and select Sort from the context menu.
2. In the Sort dialog, in the Manual section, select items that you want to reorder and then use the Up and Down buttons to move items in the list.
    
    ![Sort dialog box with the Manual sort option selected.](/tableau/current/en-gb/reader/desktop/en-gb/Img/ManualSort.png)

## Resetting sort order

You can reset how a table is sorted by either clicking the Undo button or by reverting the workbook to its saved state. For more information about how to revert a workbook, see [Reverting Workbooks](https://help.tableau.com/current/reader/desktop/en-gb/revert.htm).