--- title: "Sorting, grouping, and totals" slug: "efp-configurator-sorting-grouping-totals" updated: 2026-10-09T18:19:50Z published: 2026-10-09T18:19:50Z canonical: "help.quickbase.com/efp-configurator-sorting-grouping-totals" --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.quickbase.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Sorting, grouping, and totals Step 4 of an embedded report, **Sorting and Grouping**, decides the order of the rows, whether they're shown in groups with a heading for each group, and how the subtotal and grand total rows are labeled and colored. Sorting, grouping, and subtotals are for Detail reports. Summary and Master Summary reports keep the sorting and grouping of the saved summary report, so this step shows only **Grandtotal Label Options** for them. ## Sorting Options 1. Choose a field in the list that starts with *-Select Field to Sort-*. 2. Choose a **Sort Order**: **Ascending** (default) or **Descending**. 3. Select **Add**. The field is added to the list of sort fields. 4. Repeat for more sort fields. Rows are sorted by the first field in the list, then by the second, and so on. To take a field out, select it in the list and select **Remove**. If you select **Add** without choosing a field, the configurator shows *Please select sorting field.* A field can be in the list only once: *Cannot add the same sorting twice.* Without sort fields, the rows are in the order Quickbase returns them. ## Grouping Options Grouping shows the rows in groups, each starting with a heading row. For example, group a project's tasks by **Phase**, so each phase has a heading followed by its tasks. | **Setting** | **What it does** | | --- | --- | | **Field to Group By** | The field whose value forms the groups. Choose from the list that starts with *-Select Field to Group-*. You can group by one field. | | **Group Order** | **Ascending** (default) or **Descending**: the order of the groups. | | **Show another field For Group** | Shows a different field in the group's heading row, chosen in **Field to Display for Group**. For example, group by a phase's number but show the phase's name. | | **Attributes**, **Font Name**, **Font Size** | The heading row's text: **Bold**, **Italic**, **Underline**, the font, and its size. | | **Header Color** and **Font Color** | The heading row's background color and text color. | | **Align** | **Left**, **Center**, or **Right**: where the heading text sits in its row. | | **Include Page break after group by** | Starts each group on a new page. | For more about how groups look in the document, see [Subtable grouping](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/efp-advanced-features#subtable-grouping). ## Subtotals and grand totals A column is added up when you select **Subtotal** or **Grandtotal** in its **Advanced Settings** in step 3. See [Column DATA Properties](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/efp-configurator-columns#column-data-properties). A subtotal row ends each group, so subtotals need grouping. The grand total row ends the table. The options here set what the total rows say and how they look. ### Subtotal Label Options | **Setting** | **What it does** | | --- | --- | | **Display text For the subtotal row In Column:** | The column the label goes in. Only the columns you selected in step 3 are listed. Choose a column that isn't added up, usually the one just left of the first total. | | **Enter text for the subtotal row:** | A fixed label, for example *Phase total*. | | **Display text from another field for the subtotal row** | A label taken from a field, so it can be different for each group. For example, a formula field that reads *Total for Design*. | | **Align** | Where the label sits in its cell. | | **Subtotal Row Background Color** and **Subtotal Row Font Color** | The colors of the subtotal rows. | ### Grandtotal Label Options The same options for the grand total row: **Display text For the Grandtotal row In Column:**, **Enter text for the Grandtotal row:** or **Display text from another field for the Grandtotal row**, **Align**, and **Grandtotal Row Background Color** and **Grandtotal Row Font Color**. If you don't choose a column and a label, the total rows have no label. > [!WARNING] > Important > > Label text can't contain commas or periods, and shouldn't be only a number. Commas and periods separate the parts of the report's settings, and a label such as *2026* is read as a field ID. Write *Total 2026* instead, or take the label from a field. ## Example A project report lists tasks grouped by phase, with hours added up per phase and for the whole project: 1. In step 3, select **Task**, **Owner**, and **Hours**. In the **Advanced Settings** of **Hours**, select **Subtotal** and **Grandtotal**. 2. In step 4, add **Due Date** as a sort field, ascending. 3. Set **Field to Group By** to **Phase**, with **Bold** and a light gray **Header Color**. 4. Under **Subtotal Label Options**, put *Phase total* in the **Owner** column. Under **Grandtotal Label Options**, put *Project total* in the **Owner** column. 5. Select **Save**. | **Task** | **Owner** | **Hours** | | --- | --- | --- | | **Design** | | | | Site survey | Avery Lee | 6 | | Floor plan | Jordan Diaz | 10 | | | Phase total | 16 | | **Build** | | | | Framing | Sam Patel | 24 | | | Phase total | 24 | | | Project total | 40 | > [!NOTE] > Note > > Grouping and totals don't work together with **Repeat Columns** in step 5. When columns are repeated, grouping, subtotals, and grand totals are ignored. Next: [Table formatting options](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/efp-configurator-table-formatting). If something doesn't work, see [Exact Forms Plus Configurator messages and troubleshooting](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/efp-configurator-messages). Need help? Submit a [technical support case](https://help.quickbase.com/docs/get-help-from-quickbase-technical-support).