Set default text for a given cell

I am creating a template and would like certain cells to give an example or show what type of information should be entered. The default text should be in that cell always unless other text is entered in. If the newly entered text is deleted, the default text would show up again. In doing some research, this type of field is called a "fill-in field" if I am not mistaken. Is there any way of adding this type of text to my smartsheet?

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Enhancement Request

Comments

Travis

Hi Margaret! You can add default values to web forms but Smartsheet does not have a “fill-in field” functionality although you can add text to rows to act as default values (the default value just won’t return if a user adds and remove data from the cell). I will submit this suggestion to our product team for consideration in future development.

Chelsea Smith

Am wondering if default column cell values has had any traction with the product team? It would be very helpful from my perspective.

Kennedy Stomps

Hi Chelsea-- I don't have an update on this enhancement request but I have added your vote for it! If we make progress on this, this thread will be updated. You can also see what we're actively working on in our Product Roadmap. Thanks for your input!

Ramsay Zaki

+1 for this. Having the ability to set default values in newly added rows would be perfect. For example, Defaulting the status to "Not Started."

Kennedy Stomps

Hi Ramsay-- I've added your vote for this to our enhancement request list! Have you considered using an IF formula in the meantime? Since formulas in Smartsheet auto-fill, you could add a formula to your Status column to auto-fill "Not Started" when the Primary Column is blank, for example. This could serve as a default until a user changes the Status value manually.

The formula could look something like this:

=IF(ISBLANK(Primary1), "Not Started")

Ramsay Zaki

Unfortuantely, using formulas is not reliable. If the cell above/below has been changed then the formula doesn't autofill. So, if I have changed the status of two rows and then want to add a new row in betwee, the new row doesn't get the formula and thus, doesn't get a default status. Am I doing something incorrectly with my formulas?

Dana Schuler Drummond

Please add my voice to the those who would like to see a default value as an option.

Isidor Flavio Graf

Please add my vote too

JmanSchmitz

Please vote up! This would especially come in handy when coupled with the Outlook extension... or maybe this is functionality that could be built into the extension in order to have set default values? Please please pretty please!

Sean D

Another vote for the ability to set a default value. Another good example for me is defaulting an "Assigned To" field to the Current User for a task list.

Gregory Scharfstein

Pls add my vote for this as well.

We need this functionality because we are using Smartsheet data synched to a thrid party application and this application requires extraneous information for each row. This would be easy to implement if we had a default value feature.

We are using formulas now and will rely on the auto-fill feature to keep each row properly updated.

klsalvini16801

+1 for setting a default value in the field properties!

Formulas are not reliable, which defeats the time-saving and data-quality-assurance purpose of a default. You will still have data gaps, and need to take time to visually scan the sheet periodically (or set up special filters/reports) for empty cells and fill them in manually.

Forms have limited application. They don't work for project plans, sheets with hierarchy, and for core team members who are modifying data often and really need to be working in the sheet itself.

Ideally the default feature would work for all field types. But as a compromise, perhaps it could start as an add-on for dropdown fields, w/ a checkbox such as, "use first value as default for new rows?"

Will also put in a feature request.

Thanks!

rdobson

+1. Default value for a column is almost essential functionality.

sas-ss

+1. Especially for dropdown menus.

bert natenstedt

Hi the first request for a default value was in 2015.... It's now 2018...

I miss the correct intervention of a development team for this kind of requests

It is helpfull fo all users if a team communicate over their plans to enhance Smartsheet and is clear about if a request is honered or not