How to Use order_by in Django: Syntax and Examples

In Django, use the order_by() method on a queryset to sort results by one or more model fields. Prefix a field name with - to sort in descending order; otherwise, sorting is ascending by default.

Syntax

The order_by() method takes one or more field names as arguments to sort the queryset. Use a field name to sort ascending, or prefix it with - to sort descending.

• order_by('field'): Sort ascending by field.
• order_by('-field'): Sort descending by field.
• order_by('field1', '-field2'): Sort ascending by field1, then descending by field2.

python

queryset.order_by('field')
queryset.order_by('-field')
queryset.order_by('field1', '-field2')

Example

This example shows how to order a list of books by their published_date ascending, and then by title descending.

python

from django.db import models

class Book(models.Model):
    title = models.CharField(max_length=100)
    published_date = models.DateField()

# Query to get books ordered by published_date ascending, title descending
books = Book.objects.order_by('published_date', '-title')

for book in books:
    print(f"{book.published_date} - {book.title}")

Output

2020-01-01 - Zebra Tales
2020-01-01 - Alpha Story
2021-05-15 - Brave New World
2022-07-20 - Coding Fun

Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes when using order_by() include:

• Forgetting the - prefix for descending order.
• Using field names that do not exist on the model, causing errors.
• Calling order_by() multiple times on the same queryset, which overrides previous ordering.

Always check your field names and use order_by() once with all desired fields.

python

wrong = Book.objects.order_by('title')
wrong = wrong.order_by('-published_date')  # Overrides previous order

right = Book.objects.order_by('title', '-published_date')  # Correct combined ordering

Quick Reference

Usage	Description
order_by('field')	Sort ascending by field
order_by('-field')	Sort descending by field
order_by('field1', '-field2')	Sort ascending by field1, then descending by field2
order_by()	Remove any ordering, return unordered queryset

Key Takeaways

Use order_by() on querysets to sort results by one or more fields.

Prefix field names with '-' to sort in descending order.

Multiple calls to order_by() override previous ordering; combine fields in one call.

Ensure field names exist on the model to avoid errors.

Use order_by() with no arguments to clear ordering.