How to hide attachments and Comments in Reports within WorkApps

Warren Labuschagne

We have some internal sensitive data saved as attachments that we do not want our clients to see. I have hidden the Attachments and Comments Column on the Reports and saved them as View Only within WorkApps. However, the users can still view the attachment even though I have hidden the Attachment column, by right clicking on the row and selecting View Details. This should not happen on a view only document. Support has given me some options, which are not helpful.

1) Lock the Rows - you can still right click and view Attachments and Comments

2) Publish the Report as read only - same as above

3) Create a Dashboard with the Report within the Dashboard - Unfortunately, our Reports are too long and doesn't show the whole report, and it says, "Click to view Full Report."

Support has asked me to submit a feature request, however I feel this is an oversight that needs to be resolved. Does anyone have a solution to this?

Andrée Starå

Hi @Warren Labuschagne

I hope you're well and safe!

Do you have access to the Premium App, Dynamic View? If yes, that would probably be the best solution.

A possible workaround would be replicating the sheet with formulas, and then the Attachments and Comments wouldn't be included.

Would any of those options work/help?

I hope that helps!

Be safe, and have a fantastic week!

Best,

Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

✅Did my post(s) help or answer your question or solve your problem? Please support the Community by marking it Insightful/Vote Up, Awesome, or/and as the accepted answer. It will make it easier for others to find a solution or help to answer!

neilw1976

I have the exact same problem. Dynamic View appears to be extortionate for a very very basic purpose that Smartsheet almost fulfills but the attachments cannot be hidden no matter what you do.

I am open to creating a workaround mirror sheet without attachments and also hiding certain columns like in a report and would then publish this mirrored sheet accordingly. What is the best way to achieve this? I've tried the automation function which work but doesn't prevent attachments and not sure how it would work with hiding / deleting columns?

Thanks!

Andrée Starå

Hi @neilw1976

I hope you're well and safe!

You could use cross-sheet formulas combined with either a VLOOKUP or INDEX/MATCH structure to connect the sheets, and when you update the source sheet, it will reflect on the destination sheet.

To connect them row by row, you'd use an Autonumber Column in the Source sheet and add a so-called helper column to manually add the row id on as many rows as you think you need in the Destination sheet.

Make sense?

Would that work/help?

I hope that helps!

Be safe, and have a fantastic week!

Best,

Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

✅Did my post(s) help or answer your question or solve your problem? Please support the Community by marking it Insightful/Vote Up, Awesome, or/and as the accepted answer. It will make it easier for others to find a solution or help to answer!

Warren Labuschagne

@Andrée Starå thanks for the reply. I will give it a try. You are always so helpful, much appreciated!

Andrée Starå

@Warren Labuschagne

Thanks for the kind words!

You're more than welcome!

✅Remember! Did my post(s) help or answer your question or solve your problem? Please support the Community by marking it Insightful/Vote Up/Awesome or/and as the accepted answer. It will make it easier for others to find a solution or help to answer!