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How to reverse the order of a list in Excel and Google Sheets
Topic:Data cleaning & shapingHeads up: Excel and Google Sheets do this differently.
Excel
=INDEX($A$2:$A$6,ROWS($A$2:$A$6)+ROW($A$2)-ROW())Google Sheets
=SORT(A2:A6,ROW(A2:A6),FALSE)Try it with your data
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Step by step
- 1Excel: In B2 enter =INDEX($A$2:$A$6,ROWS($A$2:$A$6)+ROW($A$2)-ROW()) and copy down — it picks from the bottom of the source range upward.
- 2Simpler Excel alternative: Add a helper column with =ROW() beside your list, then sort by that column descending and delete the helper.
- 3Google Sheets: Use =SORT(A2:A6,ROW(A2:A6),FALSE) — ROW() generates row numbers as the sort key and FALSE sorts descending, reversing the list.
Tips
- In Excel 365 or Google Sheets, =SORT combined with SEQUENCE makes reversal very readable: =SORT(A2:A6,SEQUENCE(ROWS(A2:A6),1,ROWS(A2:A6),-1),1) sorts by a descending sequence.
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Frequently asked
Does the formula approach update automatically if I add rows?
Extend both the source range and the output range in the formula — the INDEX version adjusts as long as you update the range references.
How do I reverse a row (horizontal) instead of a column?
Wrap in TRANSPOSE or swap ROW for COLUMN in the formula: =INDEX($A$1:$E$1,1,COLUMNS($A$1:$E$1)+COLUMN($A$1)-COLUMN()).
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