A custom list is a reusable sequence of values—such as High, Medium, Low—that Excel can use to sort or fill data. A custom sort order is a rule applied during a particular sort. You can select a custom list as that rule, or sort by other criteria such as cell color, font color, or icons.
What’s the difference?
| Question | Custom list | Custom sort operation |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? | A reusable sequence of values in the order you define, such as High, Medium, Low. | The criteria Excel applies to arrange rows in a particular sort. |
| How is it used? | You can choose it when sorting, and use it with Excel’s Fill command. | Choose a column and order; add further levels when needed. |
| Can it sort by color or icon? | No. A list defines an order for values. | Yes. A sort can use cell color, font color, or conditional-formatting icons as criteria. |
| Is it reusable across computers? | Lists are stored on the computer; a list used in a sort is also saved with the workbook. | A workbook-stored list may remain available in the Sort dialog on another computer, even if it is absent from that computer’s Custom Lists panel. |
For example, if a Priority column contains High, Medium, and Low, create that sequence once as a custom list. Selecting the list under Order tells Excel how to arrange the rows in that sort. If you also want departments grouped and names ordered within each department, add sort levels. The list supplies one reusable sequence; the sort operation applies it alongside any other criteria. Microsoft’s custom-list sorting instructions and its overview of sorting ranges and tables describe these controls.
Create a custom list in Excel for Windows
Microsoft documents these Windows desktop steps for Excel 365, Excel 2024, Excel 2021, Excel 2019, and Excel 2016. Menu wording or availability can vary by platform.
- Enter the sequence. Type each item in the desired order into a worksheet range—for example, High, Medium, Low, one value per cell.
- Open the custom-list settings. Go to File > Options > Advanced. Under General, select Edit Custom Lists.
- Import the range. In the Custom Lists dialog, select the range containing the entries and import it. For a short list, you can instead type the entries directly in the list-entry area and add them.
- Sort with the list. Select the data, go to Data > Sort, choose the column to sort, then choose Custom List under Order. Select the intended list and confirm. Include column headings; Microsoft recommends headings when sorting a worksheet.
See Microsoft’s instructions to create or delete a custom list and sort by one.
Create and use a custom list on Mac
Excel for Mac uses a different preferences path: go to Excel > Preferences > Formulas and Lists > Custom Lists, add the entries in the order you want, then open the Sort dialog and select Custom List under Order. Windows menu instructions do not map directly to Mac. Microsoft’s Excel for Mac sorting guide documents the Mac workflow.
When the sort is about colors or icons
A custom list cannot define an order using cell formatting. To arrange rows by cell color, font color, or a conditional-formatting icon, set that criterion in the Sort dialog instead. Microsoft says Excel has no default order for these colors or icons; you define the desired order as part of the sort operation. Microsoft’s sorting guide covers these options.
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Important limits and cross-computer behavior
- Lists of numbers: Microsoft documents lists containing text or a mixture of text and numbers. If a custom list contains only numbers, format them as text first.
- Workbook versus computer storage: Custom lists are stored on the computer, and a list used in a sort is also saved with the workbook. On another computer, that workbook-stored list may be selectable in the Sort dialog without appearing in Excel Options’ Custom Lists panel; it is not necessarily ready to use for Fill on that computer.
- Formatting is not list content: Colors and icons are sorting criteria, not entries that you can put in a custom list.
These storage and entry constraints are described in Microsoft’s custom-list documentation.
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