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Sorting campaigns, ad sets, and ads by columns

Describes how column sorting works, supported data types, default sorting behavior, and how sorting interacts with filters and search.

Igor Simovic avatar
Written by Igor Simovic
Updated over 3 weeks ago

Summary

Sorting helps you quickly identify top performers, problem areas, and trends in your campaign data by arranging rows in ascending or descending order based on any column. You can sort by metrics like spend or ROAS to find your best and worst performers, or alphabetically by name to locate specific campaigns quickly.

How It Works

Sorting is done through a dedicated sort control. You open a sort dropdown, choose which column to sort by (even if it’s not currently visible), and toggle the direction. This sort action rearranges the rows in your table without affecting your actual campaign data or structure. It applies only to the current tab level (campaigns, ad sets, or ads) and respects all active filters.

  • Only one sort can be active at a time.

  • Sort direction (ascending or descending) is controlled via the arrow button.

  • Your sort selection persists during navigation but resets when new sessions is started.

  • Default option is Created at.

Before You Begin

  • Have campaigns, ad sets, or ads loaded in your table view

  • Understand that sorting only rearranges display order, not campaign structure

  • Know that parent-child relationships are preserved (ads stay grouped under ad sets)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Selecting a Sort

  1. Open the Sort control in the table toolbar

  2. Choose a column to sort by — including hidden ones

  3. Toggle between Ascending (A–Z / 0–9 / oldest-newest) and Descending (Z–A / 9–0 / newest-oldest)

  4. The table will reorder based on your selection

  5. The sort icon in the UI reflects the active column and direction

Sorting Different Data Types

  • Numeric columns (Spend, Impressions, CTR, ROAS):

    • Ascending = lowest to highest

    • Descending = highest to lowest

    • Null/empty values appear last

  • Text columns (Names, IDs):

    • Ascending = A to Z

    • Descending = Z to A

  • Date columns:

    • Ascending = oldest to newest

    • Descending = newest to oldest

  • Status columns:

    • Sorted alphabetically: Active, Draft, Paused, Published

Sorting Use Cases

  • Top performers: Sort by ROAS descending to find best-performing campaigns

  • Big spenders: Sort by Spend descending to review budget usage

  • Recent changes: Sort by Last Modified descending to track updates

  • Efficiency: Sort by CPC (ascending) or CTR (descending) for ad performance insights

Working with Sorted Data

Sort is preserved when sharing the URL and remains active during the same session and browser tab.

Combining with Filters

  • Apply filters to narrow down visible data

  • Then apply sort to rank or highlight key data points

  • Example: Filter by “Active” status, then sort by Spend descending

FAQs

Q: Can I sort by multiple columns?

A: No. Sorting supports one column at a time. Use filters to narrow data first, then apply a single-column sort.

Q: Why can't I sort by the Results column?

A: The Results column shows different metric types (e.g., leads, purchases) across campaigns, so sorting is not supported. Use specific metric columns instead.

Q: What happens to blank values?

A: Empty or null values always appear at the end. Zeroes are treated as valid values and sorted accordingly.

Q: Can I sort by a column that’s not currently shown?

A: Yes. The sort dropdown includes all columns, even hidden ones.

Q: Can I save a sort preference?

A: Not permanently. It stays during your session but resets after refresh or logout.

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