Google Docs: How to quickly alphabetize lists and paragraphs
Alphabetizing makes your documents look organized. List items are easier to remember and find when you give them an ABC sequence rather than scrambling them. In Google Sheets, this filing system is possible with the sorting feature. However, Google Docs doesn’t have it. But one good thing about the cloud-basedcollaborative workspace platformis the support for third-party extensions.
You can download add-ons from the Google Workspace Marketplace to enhance Docs' capabilities where it’s lacking. You’ll enjoy them more if you use the word processor on yourfavorite Chromebooks, Windows, or MacBooks, as add-ons are limited on the mobile app. If you don’t want to alphabetize texts within your documents manually, here’s how to do it automatically.
How do you alphabetize in Google Docs?
you’re able to’t automatically alphabetize in Google Docs because the app doesn’t have a built-in button for doing so. In Sheets, the Sort feature arranges texts in the A to Z order or the reverse case. If you want something like that in Docs, you need an extension.
You’ll find many add-ons in the Google Workspace Marketplace that improve Docs' functionality. There’s one foradding extra fontsto the app’s default options and another forinserting an electronic signature. In this case, the add-on you need is Sorted Paragraphs. It allows you to arrange list items and paragraphs in alphabetical (A → Z) and reverse alphabetical (Z→ A) orders.
How to install the Sorted Paragraphs extension in Google Docs
To alphabetize in Docs, download and install the Sorted Paragraphs extension from Google Workspace Marketplace. Before you do, log in with the Google account you want to use the add-on with. Workspace add-ons are restricted to the Google account you use to install them. You’ll perform this procedure on a computer as the Docs' mobile app doesn’t have add-ons for alphabetizing.
Follow the steps below to install Sorted Paragraphs in Google Docs:
How to alphabetize in Google Docs with Sorted Paragraphs
Once you’ve successfully installed Sorted Paragraphs, it’s time to use it. The add-on can arrange lists, paragraphs, and entire documents. It sorts texts based on the first letter of the first word in a sentence. If there are two items with the same first letters, the add-on orders them based on the second letters, and so on. This system makes it ideal for list items. For example, names, inventory, or groceries. If your document is an article, sorting ruins the structure.
If your document contains only lists, but you’ve separated them with headers and descriptions, highlight only the lists and sort them one at a time. Doing so preserves the document’s structure and table of contents.
Use the steps below to begin using Sorted Paragraphs:
How to sort document titles in Google Docs
Apart from alphabetizing texts in Google Docs, you could sort your documents by the titles. If you have dozens of documents saved in Google Docs, arranging them this way helps you find and open them quickly. Currently, You can only sort documents alphabetically. There isn’t an option to sort them in reverse alphabetical order.
Use the following steps to get started:
Alphabetizing doesn’t end in school
Alphabetizing is nothing new, and the Sorted Paragraphs extension in Google Docs uses a trick you’re familiar with. Arranging lists in the A to Z format allows you to register which item comes before the other and scan the document faster to find them. Add-ons aside, Docs gives you access to many features, including real-time collaboration, templates, revision history, voice typing, and more. The best part is that they’re free. You can use them to simplify complex editing processes and avoid mistakes in your documents. To learn about these features and get the most out of Google Docs, check out our topGoogle Docs tips and tricks.
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