We’d love to see this implemented, especially for sorting the customer list and finding if there are duplicate customer accounts.
Topic summary
Shopify merchants are requesting the ability to sort customers alphabetically by name—a feature that has been absent for over 3 years despite numerous requests.
Current Limitations:
- Customers can only be sorted by: last updated, amount spent, total order value, last order date, and date added
- No alphabetical sorting option exists for first or last names
Primary Use Cases:
- Finding and merging duplicate customer accounts
- Managing customer rewards programs
- Updating customer information (like email addresses) when contacted
- General customer database management for stores with hundreds to thousands of customers
Shopify’s Response:
- Staff acknowledged the feedback and stated it would be submitted for future platform updates
- No guarantees provided on if or when the feature will be implemented
- No updates given despite multiple follow-up requests over the years
Workarounds Suggested:
- Export customer list to CSV/Excel and sort externally
- Address duplicates only when noticed during checkout
- Use Shopify’s customer merge feature (though finding duplicates remains difficult)
Community Sentiment:
Merchants express significant frustration, calling this a “basic” and “simple” feature that should be standard in any database system. Some are considering switching platforms, with one user even mentioning potential legal action. The discussion remains unresolved with no timeline for implementation.
12 Likes