Seems like it would be super easy to make it so we can swap items from our inventory and automatically unequip and replace that item in our hotbar, but you know it;s just a minor annoyance having to close, uniquip the item, and then reopen the inventory again.
Yup,
For me this is the most common âannoyanceâ in the game. At least 5 times a day I hit this annoyance! If the change were global it would solve the other (actually minor) issue of changing the Thrallâs weapon during combat too. 
I remember a long time ago having an issue with not being able to replace an equipped weapon in my hotbar with a different weapon from my inventory. Is that what you are talking about? If so, I have learned that you can, just not by âdrag-and-dropâ method. Instead double click (or shift-click) the weapon into the inventory followed by double clicking (or shift-clicking) the new weapon into the vacant hotbar spot. itâs actually quicker then trying to drag-and-drop anyway, and it can be used with thralls too.
Additional note: right-clicking clothing item in inventory will automatically replace your equipped clothing item in that slot (works for thralls too). 
Happy hunting 
For me your clicking solution is a distinction without a difference. But yeah, I think thatâs what weâre talking about.
Iâm not sure what you mean. 
Well, either way you look at it you still canât replace an equipped item. There are two ways to unequip it though, you can click it off first or press the key that unequips it before opening the inventory. Two ways to solve the same problem but the problem is still the root cause of needing any/all those actions. That problem being that you canât âreplaceâ an equipped item.
No? Did I misunderstand?
My instructions my not have been clear.
If you have equipped weapon in hotbar slot-1âŠ
Open inventory and shift-click slot-1 (the weapon goes to your inventory despite the fact that it was eqiupped).
Now shift-click the desired (new) weapon from inventory. It will automatically go to first empty slot in hotbar (slot-1).
*double clicking works as well if you prefer.
I hope this makes it more clear.
Yeah, thatâs maybe better than closing inventory and unequipping, then reopening Inventory. But not for me with my level of OCD. I drag to the hot bar because I want the positions to exchange. I keep tools and weapons on row 5 almost always and food, ammo, and potions on row 1 always. When I exchange a potion or food by dragging that order is maintained. Shift clicking gets rid of it but places it at the next available inventory slot - which is often on row 30 or something nuts. Thus for me anyway, itâs a distinction without a difference - still canât exchange items if one is equipped.
I sorry I wasnât able to help. 
When I first started playing I used to organize my inventory as well (I still keep my chests very organized), but I have since learned that it suits me better to keep my inventory filter set to âHeaviest First.â Best of luck.
Yeah, sorry if I seemed to be argumentative - rather was only trying to explain my annoyance with this limitation. Your solution might work great for @ghettorogue , I dunno.
I use sort by name or heaviest when Iâm sorting my inventory into chests or benches tho.
There is actually a way that might suit your OCD (funnily enough, I learned this fairly recently watching an Ark streamer who had never played CE before - just shows thereâs always more to learn 
)
Like you, I prefer to drag things to specific slots in the hotbar and have them exchange places - while it doesnât work if you drag from the inventory to the hotbar, if you drag from the hotbar to the inventory it does work. (So pick is in slot 4 of hotbar (and is equipped) and you want to exchange it for hatchet - simply drag pick from hotbar onto the hatchet and they will swap places).
I have no idea why it doesnât work the other way round - but at least it works this way. (Iâd guess the âhaving to do it differentlyâ might still feel uncomfortable, but at least you can swap things directly slot to slot).
Well holy cow, how is it I never tried that before. 
BTW, this only works as described if your inventory is currently using the Custom sort option - otherwise it doesnât exchange
and just displaces the item you drag it onto.
Thanks @DanQuixote , youâre awesome!
Now we just need Apply Sort and Stack All buttons and all will be dandy! 
Me neither, lol - like I said, it took seeing a random Ark player try it without thinking
Good catch - I pretty much only ever use âcustomâ, so never noticed the other ways. Makes sense though, 'cause if your inventory is set to sort by heaviest and you drag from a bench or chest into your inventory it also displaces rather than swapping - so I guess itâs just doing the same thing here.
Glad it helped 
I know it was definitely something that frustrated me before I found out about this option.
Also - in case thereâs any in here you donât know about -
shift right click a stack to split in half
shift left click a stack to transfer to whatever inventory you are viewing (eg open chest/bench click stack from your inventory to chest/bench or from bench/chest to your inventory)
shift left drag to open a dialog allowing you to enter exactly how much you want to transfer
when viewing thrallâs inventory/armor screen, right click a piece of armor from your inventory to equip it directly to their correct slot.
when viewing your inventory or a bench/chest - right click a piece of armor to immediately equip it to yourself
thereâs probably others, but Iâm forgetting right now. Never found a way to sort or automatically pull stacks together, unfortunately - though (obligatory) thereâs probably a mod for that 