Text Line Sorter

What this line sorter does

Paste in a list — names, URLs, product SKUs, anything with one item per line — and it sorts them however you need: alphabetically, reverse alphabetical, by length, "naturally" (so item2 comes before item10 instead of after), or shuffled into a random order. Clean-up options handle whitespace, blank lines, and duplicates at the same time, so you don't need three different tools for one list.

Who it's for

Anyone who's ever pasted a messy list into a spreadsheet and wished it were already sorted — developers organizing config values or CSV rows, writers alphabetizing a reference list, or anyone cleaning up a list before importing it somewhere else.

How to use it

• Paste your list into the box, one item per line.
• Pick a sort order — A→Z, Z→A, natural (numeric-aware), shortest/longest first, reverse the current order, or shuffle randomly.
• Toggle case-insensitive sorting, whitespace trimming, blank-line removal, and duplicate removal as needed — all four are on by default except dedupe, which you turn on if you want it.
• Copy the result or download it as a .txt file.

Real-world use cases

• Alphabetizing a reference or bibliography list before pasting it into a document.
• Sorting filenames or version numbers naturally, so "file2.txt" doesn't accidentally sort after "file10.txt" the way plain alphabetical sorting does.
• Cleaning a scraped or exported list: trim stray whitespace, drop blank rows, and remove duplicates in one pass before importing into a spreadsheet or database.
• Randomizing a list for a raffle order, a randomized study group assignment, or just mixing up a playlist.

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between alphabetical and natural sorting?

Plain alphabetical sorting treats numbers as individual characters, so "item10" sorts before "item2" (because "1" comes before "2"). Natural sorting reads the number as a whole value instead, so "item2" correctly comes before "item10" — the sort order most people actually expect for filenames, versions, or numbered items.

Does this remove duplicate lines?

Only if you turn on the "Remove duplicate lines" option — it's off by default so a straightforward sort doesn't silently drop anything. When enabled, it respects the case-insensitive setting, so "Apple" and "apple" count as duplicates only if that toggle is also on.

Can I sort a list by length instead of alphabetically?

Yes — choose "Shortest → Longest" or "Longest → Shortest" from the sort order dropdown.

Is my data uploaded anywhere?

No, everything runs locally in your browser with JavaScript — your list is never sent to a server.

Can I use this to shuffle a list randomly, like for a giveaway?

Yes — the "Shuffle Randomly" option randomizes the order of your list using a fair shuffle algorithm, useful for randomizing raffle entries, group assignments, or playlists.