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Before you begin

Swimlane sorting is available when using the Parent Item assignment type. This feature was introduced in version 25.9.0. For other assignment types (Users/Assignee, Enumeration Field, Project), the swimlaneSort widget parameter controls ordering.
When using Parent Item swimlanes, the swimlane sort order is currently coupled to the item sort order within swimlanes. Independent sorting of swimlane rows versus items inside them is not yet supported. Plan your sort fields accordingly.
Planningboard with Parent Item swimlanes sorted by ID, showing parent work items ordered numerically in the left column

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Sort Parent Item swimlanes

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Step 1 — Set up Parent Item swimlanes

If you have not already configured Parent Item swimlanes, open your Planningboard widget parameters and complete the following before configuring sort order:
  1. Go to Widget Parameters → Unplanned Sidebar.
  2. Set Load Parents to at least 1.
  3. Set Parent Roles to the link role connecting child items to their parent (for example, implements).
Unplanned sidebar parent loading configuration

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Step 2 — Configure the Sort by parameter

  1. Open Widget Parameters → Swimlanes (Rows).
  2. Set Assignment Type to Parent Item.
  3. In Parent Role, select the link role that defines the parent–child relationship.
  4. In Sort by, enter one or more work item field IDs.
Sort by field in swimlane configuration

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Step 3 — Save and verify

Save the widget parameters and refresh the Planningboard. The swimlane rows now appear in the order defined by your Sort by expression. You should now see swimlane rows ordered according to the field you entered — for example, highest-priority parent items at the top when sorting by priority.

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Sort by syntax

The Sort by field accepts one or more work item field IDs, space-separated. Use the tilde operator (~) before a field name to sort in descending order.
Table of Sort by expression examples, including priority, title, id, tilde-prefixed descending fields, and multi-field sort combinations, with their resulting order
If you leave Sort by empty, swimlanes appear in the default order returned by Polarion.
Flow diagram comparing an empty Sort by field, which yields Polarion's unguaranteed default order, against Sort by: priority, which yields swimlanes ordered from highest-priority parent downward

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Configuration overview

The table below summarises the key parameters involved in swimlane sorting.
You can sort by any valid Polarion work item field ID, including custom fields. For example, if your project defines a custom team or component field on parent items, enter that field ID in Sort by to group swimlanes by that value.

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Sorting swimlanes with other assignment types

For assignment types other than Parent Item — such as Users (Assignee), Enumeration Field, or Project — the swimlaneSort widget parameter controls the vertical ordering of rows. The default value is alphabetical, which orders swimlane rows by their display label in ascending alphabetical order.
Additional swimlaneSort values beyond alphabetical are not confirmed in the current documentation sources. Check your installed version’s widget parameter options for the full list of accepted values.

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Common pitfalls

The Sort by field is case-sensitive and must match the exact Polarion field ID as defined in your project. A typo (for example, Priority instead of priority) will cause the sort to silently fall back to the default Polarion order. Verify field IDs in Administration → Work Items → Custom Fields.
The Sort by parameter for Parent Item swimlanes was introduced in Planningboard 25.9.0. If your board does not show the Sort by field in the Widget Parameters panel, upgrade Planningboard before proceeding.
When multiple parent items share the same value for your primary sort field (for example, equal priority), add a tiebreaker such as id to produce a stable, predictable swimlane sequence — for example: priority id.

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Verification

After saving your widget parameters and refreshing the board:
  • Swimlane rows appear in the order specified by your Sort by expression.
  • Changing the sort expression and saving immediately reorders the rows on the next board load.
  • If rows appear in an unexpected order, confirm the field ID is correct and that all parent items have the field populated.

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See also

KB Articles
  • Swimlane Assignment Types
  • Sorting of Swimlanes (Parent Item Assignment Type)
  • Filter user swimlanes by Plan range
Support TicketsSource Code
  • Config.java
  • licenseReadonly.cy.ts
  • PlanningBoardWidgetRenderer.java
  • AssignmentMode.java
  • filterMultiSwimlaneRows.cy.ts
Last modified on July 9, 2026