General Smartsheet FAQs
1. What is Smartsheet?
Smartsheet is a powerful project management and enterprise resource planning software tool. Use Smartsheet to plan, track, and collaborate on complex projects, manage resources, and organize and share data with integrated sheets, reports, and dashboards, all in one place.
To learn more about Smartsheet, check out our customer homepage.
2. What does Smartsheet do?
Teams use Smartsheet to plan, track, and collaborate on projects of all sizes and types, in any industry. With Smartsheet, you can organize complex project data, automate notifications and emails, track time spent on project tasks and phases, and more.
To learn more about what Smartsheet can do, check out all of our features.
4. Is there a free version of Smartsheet?
You can try Smartsheet free for 30 days with access to all of the features included in our Business plan. All Smartsheet plan tiers include unlimited free Viewers and Guests.
5. How do you use Smartsheet for project management?
Smartsheet makes it easy to organize project data, assign tasks, set deadlines, and track progress. Collaborate more effectively with your teams using automatic notifications and reminders, easily share updates, and streamline your processes and workflows.
Smartsheet Pro Desk also includes access to Smartsheet University, a robust self-paced training program where you’ll learn how to use Smartsheet effectively. Some Smartsheet tiers also include additional features, such as Brandfolder, Smartsheet Advance, Control Center, and Resource Management, for more customized project and program management.
6. Can I use Smartsheet if my business is subject to HIPAA?
Yes; Smartsheet provides our customers with customizable settings and controls within the service that allows them to meet their HIPAA obligations. Healthcare teams can securely share, store, and access protected health information (PHI) in Smartsheet. Data, attachments, personal information, and other content stored or processed by Smartsheet remain encrypted during transit and at rest.
To learn more about our commitment to supporting HIPAA covered entities and other compliance frameworks, read about compliance and security at Smartsheet.
7. What are the main benefits of Smartsheet?
Smartsheet provides a centralized workspace for teams to communicate and collaborate, organize data, automate workflows to save time, and track real-time project updates for all users, ensuring they can be productive from anywhere.
Additionally, some Smartsheet tiers offer advanced Resource Management, Dynamic Views, Control Center, and dedicated, real-time support. Learn more about why people choose Smartsheet over other solutions.
8. Why is Smartsheet better than Excel?
Smartsheet goes beyond Excel by offering integrated project management tools, workflow automation, and real-time collaboration. It allows teams to create comprehensive systems with forms and dashboards, streamlining processes and enhancing visibility across projects, making it easier to manage and execute work effectively.
Learn why people are switching from Excel to Smartsheet.
9. What other software integrates with Smartsheet?
Smartsheet integrates seamlessly with the most popular software in your tech stack, including Jira, Microsoft Teams, Slack, Salesforce, Adobe Creative Cloud, Tableau, and many more.
For a complete, up-to-date list of integrations, visit our integrations page.
10. Is Smartsheet a CRM?
Smartsheet helps manage customer relationships with prebuilt, customizable templates, task management capabilities, and enhanced collaboration. This allows you to easily track leads, manage customer interactions, and streamline communication throughout all phases of the pipeline.
Learn why you should use Smartsheet for CRM.
11. Is Smartsheet an ERP?
Smartsheet is an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system that integrates business tools into a single, centralized platform. When you consolidate your tech stack, teams can coordinate, collaborate, and communicate without switching back and forth between tools.
12. Is Smartsheet hard to learn?
Smartsheet is easy to learn because it has a familiar, spreadsheet-like interface that is easy to navigate, even for first-time users. Smartsheet plans also include free training, helpful resources, and a knowledgeable support team to onboard your team quickly.
Check out our 5-day crash course to see firsthand how easy it is to get started without any formal training.
13. What companies use Smartsheet? How many companies use Smartsheet?
Smartsheet is trusted and used by more than 75 percent of the Fortune 500 and by 90 percent of Fortune 100 companies, including NASA, Pfizer, Alaska Airlines, and LEGO.
Learn how customers are using Smartsheet to make an impact in their organization.
Smartsheet FAQs for Current Users
1. How to set up a Smartsheet
Start from a blank sheet, customize a template, or import work from another tool such as Excel or Google Sheets. Fill in your columns and visualize the information with Grid, Gantt, Calendar, or Card View, depending on your needs.
Watch this quick video to learn the basics of setting up a sheet, or browse the Smartsheet Template Gallery, which includes hundreds of fully editable and customizable templates to get you started.
2. How to create a Gantt chart in Smartsheet
It is easy to create a Gantt chart in Smartsheet from a template or from scratch. Input your data into a sheet in Grid View, and then click Gantt View to switch your display. Smartsheet will automatically populate a Gantt chart using the data from your sheet.
Templates make it easy to get started. Try our Project with Gantt & Dependencies Template to help get your next project up and running.
3. How to create a dashboard in Smartsheet
To create a dashboard in Smartsheet, select Create New on your home screen, then select Dashboard. Choose from widget types such as charts, metrics, and shortcuts, and link them to data from sheets and reports to easily share information with others.
You can customize a dashboard with logos, colors, and content. To learn more about how to set up a dashboard, check out our dashboard creation guide.
4. How to merge cells in Smartsheet
You cannot merge or split cells in Smartsheet because each cell is a field within a column of a database. You can adjust the size of rows and columns, or select Wrap to display text over multiple lines within a cell.
To learn more about how to combine data from multiple cells in Smartsheet, check out our simple how-to-combine text guide.
5. How to create a form in Smartsheet
To create a form to collect information or survey respondents, select Forms, then Create Form at the top-left corner of a sheet. Customize your form with text prompts, or add different field types and conditional logic depending on your needs.
To learn more about how to create a form, check out our form creation guide.
6. How to create a project plan or schedule in Smartsheet
The easiest way to create a project plan or schedule in Smartsheet is by using a template. Smartsheet templates are completely editable and customizable, and they include everything you need to create a project schedule.
Our Smartsheet Template Gallery includes hundreds of project management templates to help you manage work during all project phases, including a variety of easy-to-use, prebuilt project schedule templates.
7. How to wrap text in Smartsheet
To wrap text within cells in Smartsheet, select the cells and click the Wrap button beneath the sheet name at the top of the page. To set all cells in a column to wrap, select the column header and click the Wrap button.
Formatting data in Smartsheet can help visually enhance your information, making it easier to interpret and analyze.
8. How to create a report in Smartsheet
To create a report in Smartsheet, click the Create new button on your home page, then select Report. Select Row Report or Sheet Report, then select the sheet with your source information to begin customizing your new report.
To learn more about creating and customizing reports in Smartsheet, check out our report creation and customization guide.
9. How to determine hierarchy in a row in Smartsheet
To define row hierarchy in Smartsheet, select a row in your sheet, and then click the Indent button in the toolbar. When you indent a row, it becomes a child row to the parent row above it.
For more information, read our guide to rows and hierarchy in Smartsheet.
10. How to add a drop-down menu in Smartsheet
To add a drop-down menu in Smartsheet, hover over the column header and click the Column Menu button. Then, select Edit Column Properties and change the column type to Dropdown List and create your list options in the Values text box.
To learn more about how to use different column types, check out our lesson on columns.
11. How to change a primary column in Smartsheet
The cells in the primary column in Smartsheet must always be Text/Number fields. To change the name of the primary column, right-click the column header, select Column Properties, and enter a new name for the column in the Name field.
To learn more about how to work with the primary column, take a look through our primary column best practices.
12. How to create a sheet summary in Smartsheet
To create a sheet summary, open the sheet and click the Summary button on the right side of the sheet. Add fields and fill in dates, notes, formulas, contacts, and other summary information. When you are finished, save your sheet.
To learn more about the type of information you can include in a sheet summary, take a look through our sheet summary guide.
13. How to sort in Smartsheet
To sort data in Smartsheet, right-click within a column and select Sort Rows. You can also sort sheets with the Filter button in the top feature bar. This will show only the information included within the filter.
Custom filters let you sort and view information in a sheet any way you’d like. To learn how to create and use custom filters, check out our guide to filters in Smartsheet.
14. What is a proof in Smartsheet?
Proofs allow you to share works-in-progress with stakeholders and get their notes and approval all in one place. Use proofs to share, edit, and approve videos, images, written content, or anything else that requires rounds of editing and approval.
To learn more about how to create and use proofs, watch our guide to proofs in Smartsheet.
15. How to hide rows in Smartsheet
To hide a row in Smartsheet, indent the row using the Indent button at the top of the sheet. Then, hide the row using the - button that appears in the parent row above it, or show it again with the + button.
To learn more about how to hide and unhide columns in Smartsheet, take a look through our column view guide.