To sort items in a Finder folder alphabetically while keeping folders separate from documents, switch to List view, sort by the Name column, and enable Finder’s “Keep folders on top” setting. Finder will show folders first in alphabetical order, followed by files in alphabetical order. This changes how the items are displayed; it does not move them or create separate folders.

Sort a Finder window by name

  1. Open the folder whose contents you want to sort in Finder. Click the Finder icon in the Dock, then navigate to the target folder. The sort applies to the contents of that window, so check that you opened the location you meant to change.
  2. Select List view using the List view button in the Finder toolbar. If you don’t see the view buttons, the toolbar may show them in a menu; making the window wider can reveal the buttons in a row. List view displays names with useful details in columns, making it easier to check the alphabetical order.
  3. Click the Name column heading. Finder sorts the list by name. If clicking it again reverses the order, click until the arrow indicates ascending order, from A to Z. Apple documents sorting in List view by clicking a column heading and clicking it again to reverse the order. Sort and arrange items in the Finder on Mac

Keep folders above files

Sorting by name alone can put folders and documents into one alphabetical sequence. To put all folders first, choose Finder > Settings, click Advanced, and under Keep folders on top, select In windows when sorting by name. When Finder is sorting a window by name, it will show folders alphabetically first, then files alphabetically. Change Finder settings on Mac

Return to the folder and make sure it is still sorted by Name. The setting only affects windows sorted by name; it does not mean folders will stay at the top when sorting by date, size, or another attribute. The preference is also separate from the option for keeping folders on top on the Desktop.

Use List view to check the result

In List view, the Name column makes the two groups easy to scan: first the folder names in alphabetical order, then the file names in alphabetical order. Other visible columns can help distinguish file types or compare dates and sizes. If the name is truncated, drag the divider between column headings to widen the Name column, or double-click the divider to expand it to fit the filenames. To show or hide columns, Control-click a column heading and choose which columns to display. These are built-in Finder controls. Change how folders are displayed in the Finder on Mac

If you prefer another Finder view

The “Keep folders on top” preference is for Finder windows sorted by name, so you can use other views and retain the folder-first behavior when the window is sorted that way. Finder supports Icon, List, Column, and Gallery views. List view is usually the clearest choice for this task because it exposes the Name heading and can show additional columns. In Icon view, sorting or arranging icons changes their layout, which can make a mixed set less straightforward to inspect. Sort and arrange items in the Finder on Mac, Change how folders are displayed in the Finder on Mac

Understand what the setting changes

“Keep folders on top” separates folders from files in the displayed order; it does not move documents into a folder, alter filenames, or make a new folder for each file type. A document remains in its original location. If you want Finder to group items by another attribute, such as Kind or Date Created, Finder also offers a Group control, but that is a different presentation from alphabetical sorting with folders first. For the requested arrangement, use Sort by Name and leave grouping off if you want one folder section followed by one file section. Apple lists grouping and sorting as separate Finder actions. Sort and arrange items in the Finder on Mac

Finder’s sorting and arranging choices are remembered for a folder until changed, according to Apple. If the folder later appears in a different order, check the current sort choice and the Name column heading before changing other settings. Sort and arrange items in the Finder on Mac

Wallo’s Mac workflow library focuses on organizing open windows and to-dos by goal with keyboard focusing. For sorting files already shown in a Finder window, use Finder’s own name sorting and folder-on-top preference.

Sources