idea catalog

Use the Idea Catalog sort builder

Stack multiple sort rules so the catalog puts the right Ideas at the top, then breaks ties the way you want.

The sort builder decides what order Ideas appear in. Unlike a simple "sort by" dropdown, it holds a stack of rules: a primary sort, then as many tie-breakers as you need.

Use it when one rule is not enough. "Highest priority first" is useful; "highest priority first, and within each priority the soonest release date" is a working queue.

How stacked sorts work

Rules apply from the top down. The first rule orders everything; the second rule only decides the order of Ideas the first rule tied; the third breaks whatever the second still ties, and so on.

Order	Rule	Effect
Sort by	Priority · Last → First	All Critical Ideas float to the top
Then by	Release Date · Oldest → Newest	Inside Critical, the soonest release comes first
Then by	Title · A → Z	Two Critical Ideas releasing the same day sort alphabetically

The toolbar button reflects the whole stack: it reads Sorted by Priority, +2 more, and turns blue whenever any sort is active.

The sort builder with three stacked rules labelled Sort by and Then by.

Build a sort

Open Sort
Select Sort in the Idea Catalog toolbar.
Add the primary rule
Select Add Sort. The first row is labelled Sort by — this is the rule that does most of the work.
Choose the field
Pick a base Idea field or a custom field. The field menu is searchable, which helps once a Channel has a lot of custom fields.
Choose the direction
The direction options are written in plain language and change to match the field: A → Z for text, Newest → Oldest for dates, Most → Fewest for fields that hold several values.
Add tie-breakers
Select Add Sort again for each extra rule. Every row after the first is labelled Then by.
Reorder or remove
Drag a row by its handle to change which rule takes precedence, or select on a row to drop it. The catalog updates as you go — there is no Apply button.

Sort directions by field type

The wording changes so the option always reads as a sentence about your data.

Field type	Ascending	Descending
Text — Title, Description, Short Text	A → Z	Z → A
Dates — Release Date, Filming dates, Last Updated, Date Created	Oldest → Newest	Newest → Oldest
Numbers — Number, Currency, Duration, Rating, Progress	Smallest → Largest	Largest → Smallest
Multi-value — Assignees, Categories, Release Platforms	Fewest → Most	Most → Fewest
Checkbox and Pinned	Unchecked → Checked	Checked → Unchecked
Select fields — Status, Priority, Single Select	First → Last	Last → First

What you can sort by

Base Idea fields: Title, Description, Status, Priority, Release Date, Start Filming Date, End Filming Date, Assignees, Categories, Release Platforms, Pinned, Last Updated, and Date Created.

Custom fields: Short Text, Long Text, Number, Currency, Duration, Phone, Email, Single Select, Date & Time, Date Range, and Checkbox fields.

Hiding a base field in Manage Fields also removes it from the sort builder, so the menu only ever offers fields the Channel actually uses.

Sorts worth stacking

Goal	Sort by	Then by
A production queue	Priority · Last → First	Release Date · Oldest → Newest
This week's shoot list	Start Filming Date · Oldest → Newest	Priority · Last → First
Pinned work at the top	Pinned · Checked → Unchecked	Last Updated · Newest → Oldest
Sponsor pipeline	Sponsor Approval · First → Last	Release Date · Oldest → Newest
Alphabetical reference list	Title · A → Z	—

Sorts and saved views

A sort stack is part of the catalog's configuration, exactly like filters and layout. Save it into a view and your whole team gets the same ordering when they open that view.

If you are sorting the same way for the third time, save it — see Save and manage Idea Catalog views.

Common mistakes

Using sort when you meant filter

Sorting moves Ideas; it never hides them. If you want to see only Critical Ideas rather than see them first, that is a filter — see Use the Idea Catalog filter builder.

Stacking rules that never come into play

A tie-breaker only matters when the rule above it ties. Sorting by Last Updated first makes every rule beneath it almost decorative, because timestamps rarely tie.

Expecting a hidden field to be sortable

Base Idea fields hidden for the Channel are not offered in the sort builder. Re-enable the field in Manage Fields if your workflow depends on it.

Sorting a multi-value field expecting alphabetical order

Assignees, Categories, and Release Platforms sort by count. If you want alphabetical grouping, group or filter by them instead.

Next step

Pair a sort stack with a filter and save the result: Save and manage Idea Catalog views.