Django QuerySet Order By – Sort Query Results by Fields (2025 Guide)

Introduction – What Is .order_by() in Django?

The .order_by() method in Django lets you sort query results based on one or more fields in ascending or descending order. It’s commonly used to display the latest blog posts, top-rated items, or alphabetized lists.

In this guide, you’ll learn:

• How to use .order_by() for single and multiple fields
• How to sort in ascending vs. descending order
• How to combine with filters or limits
• Best practices for performance and clarity

Basic Syntax

Model.objects.order_by('field_name')

Returns a QuerySet ordered by field_name in ascending order.

Descending Order

Prefix the field with a hyphen - to sort in descending order.

Model.objects.order_by('-field_name')

Real-World Examples

➤ Order Blog Posts by Publish Date

Post.objects.order_by('-published')

Most recent posts appear first.

➤ Order Products Alphabetically

Product.objects.order_by('name')

➤ Order by Multiple Fields

User.objects.order_by('last_name', 'first_name')

Sorts by last_name, then by first_name within that group.

Chaining with Filter or Slice

You can chain .filter() and .order_by():

Post.objects.filter(status='published').order_by('-published')[:5]

Gets the latest 5 published posts.

Random Order (Use with Caution)

Post.objects.order_by('?')

May be slow on large datasets as it disables DB-level optimization.

Unsupported Features

• You can’t dynamically order using user input directly (must sanitize values first).
• You cannot use .order_by() after .values() or .annotate() without knowing how they affect query structure.

Best Practices

• Index frequently ordered fields (e.g., dates, slugs)
• Use descending order for “latest first” logic
• Avoid random ordering (order_by('?')) on large tables
• Test performance when chaining filters and orderings

Summary – Recap & Next Steps

Key Takeaways:

• Use .order_by('field') to sort ascending
• Use .order_by('-field') to sort descending
• Chain with .filter() and slicing for powerful querying
• Use multiple fields for grouped ordering

Real-World Relevance:
From blog feeds to search results and product catalogs, ordering is key to presenting data in user-friendly, logical ways.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How do I reverse the order of a QuerySet?

Use:

qs = Post.objects.all().order_by('title')
qs = qs.reverse()

Can I order by related fields?

Yes. Example:

Post.objects.order_by('author__username')

Can I use a variable inside order_by()?

Yes, but you must sanitize it:

order_field = 'title'
Post.objects.order_by(order_field)

Can I order after using .annotate()?

Yes, but you must reference annotated fields carefully.

Is .order_by() lazy?

Yes. Like all QuerySet methods, it doesn’t hit the database until evaluated.