Sort Text Lines
This tool helps you reorder lines of text in a clear and predictable way. You can sort lines alphabetically from A to Z, reverse the order from Z to A, or shuffle them randomly, all without altering the actual content of each line.
Line sorting is useful when working with lists, copied data, configuration values, or any text where order matters for readability, comparison, or organization rather than meaning.
How Line Sorting Works
The tool treats each line as a separate unit and applies the selected ordering rule across the entire set. Before sorting, optional cleanup steps can be applied so that differences in casing, spacing, or empty lines do not interfere with the intended result.
All operations happen locally in your browser. The output you see is generated only from the options you enable, with no hidden transformations or external processing.
Sort Options Explained
You can control both the sorting order and how lines are prepared before sorting.
- A → Z — Sorts lines alphabetically in ascending order.
- Z → A — Sorts lines alphabetically in descending order.
- Random — Shuffles lines into a random order, useful for sampling or reordering lists.
- Ignore case — Compares lines without considering letter casing, so Apple and apple are treated equally.
- Trim whitespace — Removes leading and trailing spaces from each line before sorting.
- Remove empty lines — Excludes blank lines from the result.
Examples and Edge Cases
When sorting lists copied from documents or spreadsheets, invisible spacing or inconsistent casing can produce unexpected ordering. Trimming whitespace and ignoring case helps ensure the sort reflects the actual words rather than formatting artifacts.
Random sorting intentionally discards any existing order. This is useful for reshuffling items, but should be avoided when the original sequence carries meaning or priority.
Who Should Use This Tool
Sorting text lines is helpful whenever clarity, organization, or consistency matters more than the original order.
- Organizing lists or datasets
- Preparing values for comparison or review
- Cleaning copied text before reuse
- Randomizing items for selection or testing
Related Concepts
Line sorting is often combined with other text cleanup steps to improve overall quality.
- Removing duplicate lines before sorting
- Cleaning extra spaces to normalize input
- Counting lines after reordering
For best results, you may want to remove duplicates first using Remove Duplicate Lines or clean spacing with Remove Extra Spaces.