Multi-Select Picklist Value ordering behavior

Multi-select picklist fields in Salesforce allow you to select multiple values on a record. In Setup, you can define and re-order these values at any time. However, the order in which values are displayed in the Salesforce UI (Records and Reports) differs from the order returned by SOQL queries, Apex code, and the Salesforce API.
This article explains this difference in ordering behavior and provides a step-by-step approach to reorder multi-select picklist values so they appear in the correct order in SOQL results.

Behavior in the Salesforce UI

In the Salesforce UI — including Record detail pages and Reports — multi-select picklist values are displayed in the order currently defined in Setup. When you re-order values in Setup, the change is immediately reflected in the UI display order for all records.
Example: If shanep__Multi_Picklist1__c initially has values defined as option1; option2; option3, the UI displays them in that order. If you re-order them to option3; option1; option2 in Setup, the UI immediately reflects this new order.

Behavior in SOQL, Apex, and the API

When querying multi-select picklist values using SOQL (for example, in Workbench or via the Developer Console), Apex code, or the Salesforce API, values are always returned in their original creation order — the order in which they were defined when the field was first created or deployed. Re-ordering values in Setup does NOT change the SOQL return order.
Example: After re-ordering shanep__Multi_Picklist1__c values to option3; option1; option2 in Setup, the UI shows the new order, but a SOQL query still returns option1; option2; option3 — the original creation order.
Note: As per the Salesforce documentation, "sorting is defined by the picklist sort determined during setup" when using ORDER BY in SOQL for picklist fields.


To demonstrate the difference refer to these two examples: 

• We start with Two Multi-Select Picklist fields with values:
  • shanep__Multi_Picklist1__c - option1; option2; option3

• shanep__Multi_Picklist2__c - option3; option2: option1 

• Maintaining that order during initial creation. The order of the values is now set in the UI and for SOQL 

Report (UI)


Record (UI)


Workbench (SOQL)

• If we now change the order of the values for shanep__Multi_Picklist1__c to option3; option1; option2;

• We can see that the change is reflected in the UI but not in SOQL

Report (UI)


Record (UI)


Workbench (SOQL)


NOTE: It is not recommended to go ahead and delete picklist values in use without first replacing them however replacing them directly without planning may result in the same un-ordered situation.