Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Excel 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Excel, click here: Ordering Worksheets Based on a Cell Value.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated January 27, 2024)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
Other issues of ExcelTips have provided ways that you can sort the worksheets in your workbook based on the worksheet name. What if you want to sort the worksheets based on a value in a given cell of each worksheet, however? For instance, you may have a series of worksheets that share the same general layout, and you want the worksheets ordered based on the value in cell H7 of each worksheet.
The only way to handle this is with a macro. The macro needs to step through each worksheet in the workbook, and then examine the key cell in each subsequent worksheet to see how it compares. If the cell value is less than the current worksheet, then the worksheet that contains the lesser value can be moved.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Excel 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Excel, click here:
Sub SortWksByCell()
Dim i As Integer
Dim j As Integer
For i = 1 To Worksheets.Count
For j = i To Worksheets.Count
If UCase(Worksheets(j).Range("H7")) < _
UCase(Worksheets(i).Range("H7")) Then
Worksheets(j).Move Before:=Worksheets(i)
End If
Next
Next
End Sub
Note the use of the Move method, which does the actual movement of the worksheets. The names of the worksheets don't matter, only their positioning based on the value in cell H7 of each worksheet.
Note:
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2890) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Excel (Excel 2007 and later) here: Ordering Worksheets Based on a Cell Value.
Professional Development Guidance! Four world-class developers offer start-to-finish guidance for building powerful, robust, and secure applications with Excel. The authors show how to consistently make the right design decisions and make the most of Excel's powerful features. Check out Professional Excel Development today!
Some easy steps to rename the worksheets in your Excel workbook.
Discover MoreGot a workbook with a lot of worksheets in it? Here's some handy ways to jump to the worksheet you want, alphabetically.
Discover MoreExcel allows you, in your formulas, to include references to cells on other worksheets. Those references include the name ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
Got a version of Excel that uses the menu interface (Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, or Excel 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments