Compare two spreadsheets when rows have moved
Use a stable record ID to distinguish a real change from an export that has simply been sorted differently.
Choose an ID, not a row number
An order number or external record ID usually survives sorting. Names can change and are not always unique. Use a column that identifies one record in each file. Leading zeroes matter: 00123 and 123 should not be silently treated as the same ID.
Decide which values matter
Compare all shared non-key headers when the exports have the same schema. If you are checking one amount, choose that specific value column in both files. Numeric comparison can treat 1,200.00 and 1200 as equal, but it should not be applied to identifiers.
Handle duplicates before trusting matches
If an ID appears twice in either input, there is no unique pair to compare. FolioTern marks the involved rows Ambiguous key instead of choosing a match. Check the source system or clean the duplicate deliberately. Blank IDs stay visible as Missing key.
Keep an explanation with the result
The comparison includes statuses and both source-row numbers. The change report lists individual fields before and after. Download the workbook so the overview and the detail remain together.