disable a column sorting using jquery datatables

This is what you're looking for:

$('#example').dataTable( {
      "aoColumnDefs": [
          { 'bSortable': false, 'aTargets': [ 1 ] }
       ]
});

To make a first column sorting disable, try with the below code in datatables jquery. The null represents the sorting enable here.

$('#example').dataTable( {
  "aoColumns": [
  { "bSortable": false },
  null,
  null,
  null
  ]
} );

Disable Sorting on a Column in jQuery Datatables

Using Datatables 1.9.4 I've disabled the sorting for the first column with this code:

/* Table initialisation */
$(document).ready(function() {
    $('#rules').dataTable({
        "sDom" : "<'row'<'span6'l><'span6'f>r>t<'row'<'span6'i><'span6'p>>",
        "sPaginationType" : "bootstrap",
        "oLanguage" : {
            "sLengthMenu" : "_MENU_ records per page"
        },
        // Disable sorting on the first column
        "aoColumnDefs" : [ {
            'bSortable' : false,
            'aTargets' : [ 0 ]
        } ]
    });
});

EDIT:

You can disable even by using the no-sort class on your <th>,

and use this initialization code:

// Disable sorting on the no-sort class
"aoColumnDefs" : [ {
    "bSortable" : false,
    "aTargets" : [ "no-sort" ]
} ]

EDIT 2

In this example I'm using Datables with Bootstrap, following an old blog post. Now there is one link with updated material about styling Datatables with bootstrap.

As of DataTables 1.10.5 it is now possible to define initialisation options using HTML5 data-* attributes.

-dataTables documentation: HTML5 data-* attributes - table options

So you can use data-orderable="false" on the th of the column you don't want to be sortable. For example, the second column "Avatar" in the table below will not be sortable:

<table id="example" class="display" width="100%" data-page-length="25">
    <thead>
        <tr>
            <th>Name</th>
            <th data-orderable="false">Avatar</th>
            <th>Start date</th>
            <th>Salary</th>
        </tr>
    </thead>
    <tbody>
        <tr>
            <td>Tiger Nixon</td>
            <td><img src="https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/8edcff60cdcca2ad650758fa524d4990?s=64&amp;d=identicon&amp;r=PG" alt="" style="width: 64px; height: 64px; visibility: visible;"></td>
            <td>2011/04/25</td>
            <td>$320,800</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>Garrett Winters</td>
            <td><img src="https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/98fe9834dcca2ad650758fa524d4990?s=64&amp;d=identicon&amp;r=PG" alt="" style="width: 64px; height: 64px; visibility: visible;"></td>
            <td>2011/07/25</td>
            <td>$170,750</td>
        </tr>
        ...[ETC]...
    </tbody>
</table>

See a working example at https://jsfiddle.net/jhfrench/6yxvxt7L/.

What I use is just add a custom attribute in thead td and control sorting by checking that attr value automatically.

So the HTML code will be

<table class="datatables" cellspacing="0px" >

    <thead>
        <tr>
            <td data-bSortable="true">Requirements</td>
            <td>Test Cases</td>
            <td data-bSortable="true">Automated</td>
            <td>Created On</td>
            <td>Automated Status</td>
            <td>Tags</td>
            <td>Action</td>
        </tr>
    </thead>
    <tbody>
        <tr>
            <td>

And JavaScript for initializing datatables will be (it will dynamically get the sorting information from table iteself ;)

$('.datatables').each(function(){
    var bFilter = true;
    if($(this).hasClass('nofilter')){
        bFilter = false;
    }
    var columnSort = new Array; 
    $(this).find('thead tr td').each(function(){
        if($(this).attr('data-bSortable') == 'true') {
            columnSort.push({ "bSortable": true });
        } else {
            columnSort.push({ "bSortable": false });
        }
    });
    $(this).dataTable({
        "sPaginationType": "full_numbers",
        "bFilter": bFilter,
        "fnDrawCallback": function( oSettings ) {
        },
        "aoColumns": columnSort
    });
});

columnDefs now accepts a class. I'd say this is the preferred method if you'd like to specify columns to disable in your markup:

<table>
    <thead>
        <tr>
            <th>ID</th>
            <th>Name</th>
            <th class="datatable-nosort">Actions</th>
        </tr>
    </thead>
    ...
</table>

Then, in your JS:

$("table").DataTable({
    columnDefs: [{
        targets: "datatable-nosort",
        orderable: false
    }]
});

Here is what you can use to disable certain column to be disabled:

 $('#tableId').dataTable({           
            "columns": [
                { "data": "id"},
                { "data": "sampleSortableColumn" },
                { "data": "otherSortableColumn" },
                { "data": "unsortableColumn", "orderable": false}
           ]
});

So all you have to do is add the "orderable": false to the column you don't want to be sortable.

$("#example").dataTable(
  {
    "aoColumnDefs": [{
      "bSortable": false, 
      "aTargets": [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
    }]
  }
);

As of 1.10.5, simply include

'orderable: false'

in columnDefs and target your column with

'targets: [0,1]'

Table should like like:

var table = $('#data-tables').DataTable({
    columnDefs: [{
        targets: [0],
        orderable: false
    }]
});

"aoColumnDefs" : [   
{
  'bSortable' : false,  
  'aTargets' : [ 0 ]
}]

Here 0 is the index of the column, if you want multiple columns to be not sorted, mention column index values seperated by comma(,)

For Single column sorting disable try this example :

<script type="text/javascript">                         
    $(document).ready(function() 
    {
        $("#example").dataTable({
           "aoColumnDefs": [
              { 'bSortable': false, 'aTargets': [ 0 ] }
           ]
        });
    });                                         
</script>

For Multiple columns try this example: you just need to add column number. By default it's starting from 0

<script type="text/javascript">                         
    $(document).ready(function() 
    {
        $("#example").dataTable({
           "aoColumnDefs": [
              { 'bSortable': false, 'aTargets': [ 0,1,2,4,5,6] }
           ]
        });
    });                                         
</script>  

Here only Column 3 works

Using class:

<table  class="table table-datatable table-bordered" id="tableID">
    <thead>
        <tr>
            <th class="nosort"><input type="checkbox" id="checkAllreInvitation" /></th>
            <th class="sort-alpha">Employee name</th>
            <th class="sort-alpha">Send Date</th>
            <th class="sort-alpha">Sender</th>
        </tr>
    </thead>
    <tbody>
        <tr>
            <td><input type="checkbox" name="userUid[]" value="{user.uid}" id="checkAllreInvitation" class="checkItemre validate[required]" /></td>
            <td>Alexander Schwartz</td>
            <td>27.12.2015</td>
            <td>[email protected]</td>
        </tr>
    </tbody>
</table>
<script type="text/javascript">
    $(document).ready(function() {
        $('#tableID').DataTable({
            'iDisplayLength':100,
            "aaSorting": [[ 0, "asc" ]],
            'aoColumnDefs': [{
                'bSortable': false,
                'aTargets': ['nosort']
            }]
        });
    });
</script>

Now you can give "nosort" class to <TH>

To update Bhavish's answer (which I think is for an older version of DataTables and didn't work for me). I think they changed the attribute name. Try this:

<thead>
    <tr>
        <td data-sortable="false">Requirements</td>
        <td data-sortable="false">Automated</td>
        <td>Created On</td>
    </tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
    <tr>
        <td>

This works for me for a single column

 $('#example').dataTable( {
"aoColumns": [
{ "bSortable": false 
 }]});

If you already have to hide Some columns, like I hide last name column. I just had to concatenate fname , lname , So i made query but hide that column from front end. The modifications in Disable sorting in such situation are :

    "aoColumnDefs": [
        { 'bSortable': false, 'aTargets': [ 3 ] },
        {
            "targets": [ 4 ],
            "visible": false,
            "searchable": true
        }
    ],

Notice that I had Hiding functionality here

    "columnDefs": [
            {
                "targets": [ 4 ],
                "visible": false,
                "searchable": true
            }
        ],

Then I merged it into "aoColumnDefs"

you can also use negative index like this:

$('.datatable').dataTable({
    "sDom": "<'row-fluid'<'span6'l><'span6'f>r>t<'row-fluid'<'span6'i><'span6'p>>",
    "sPaginationType": "bootstrap",
    "aoColumnDefs": [
        { 'bSortable': false, 'aTargets': [ -1 ] }
    ]
});

The code will look like this:

$(".data-cash").each(function (index) {
  $(this).dataTable({
    "sDom": "<'row-fluid'<'span6'l><'span6'f>r>t<'row-fluid'<'span6'i><'span6'p>>",
    "sPaginationType": "bootstrap",
    "oLanguage": {
      "sLengthMenu": "_MENU_ records per page",
      "oPaginate": {
        "sPrevious": "Prev",
        "sNext": "Next"
      }
    },
    "bSort": false,
    "aaSorting": []
  });
});

Here is the answer !

targets is the column number, it starts from 0

$('#example').dataTable( {
  "columnDefs": [
    { "orderable": false, "targets": 0 }
  ]
} );

set class "no-sort" in th of the table then add css .no-sort { pointer-events: none !important; cursor: default !important;background-image: none !important; } by this it will hide the arrow updown and disble event in the head.