Transcript
If you're building a directory, a jobs board, or any content list, getting your newest or oldest items to show in the right order makes a big difference for your users. We'll walk through how to set the sort-by date inside a Softr list or table block so your content displays exactly as intended. Start by clicking the list or table block you want to control inside the Softr editor.
You'll know it's selected when you see the block highlighted and its settings panel appears on the right. This ensures we're adjusting the correct block, especially if your page has multiple lists pulling from different data sources. Next, open the source tab in the block's settings.
The source tab is where Softr connects your block to the underlying data, often Airtable, Google Sheets, or a native Softr collection. This is where you define which table, view, or collection you're using, and it's also where sorting and filtering options typically live.
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Note from Softr: While you can seamlessly connect to external sources like Airtable and Google Sheets, you can also use Softr Databases to manage your data directly within Softr for maximum performance.
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Inside the source tab, look for a section labeled sort or sort order. Depending on the block and your Softr version, this might also sit under a data, query, or advanced section. You're telling the block how to order the records before anything else happens on the page.
If you see multiple sort conditions, remember that the first condition has the highest priority, but for now, we'll focus on just the date. When prompted to choose a field, pick the date field you want to use, often called created date if it's the system-generated timestamp. You can also pick a custom field like date added that you created in your data source.
Make sure the field is actually a date type in your base or collection. If it's stored as plain text, sorting may appear inconsistent because text sorting doesn't follow chronological rules. If you have more than one date in your records, pick the one that aligns with how you want content surfaced to your users.
Finally, set the direction. Descending will show the newest items first, which is perfect for feeds, news, or recently added content. Ascending will show the oldest items first, which works well for timelines or archives.
Choose the direction that best supports your use case, and you should see the order update right away in the editor preview. Your list or table block is now sorted by the date you selected, giving your users a clear, predictable order. If your block also allows end users to sort on the page, remember that their selections can temporarily override this default, but your source sort remains the baseline whenever the page loads.
