Using Reports to Isolate User Access

Adam Hutchinson

I need to manage information pertaining to a client (single row per client) that contains three different types of information used by three different users.   The sheet has formula that I want to continue down the sheet automatically. Because we are using webforms to register new client information, every time a user goes into the sheet, it creates ten new rows, and then webform entries start many rows down the sheet, and the formula does not!  a big pain. 

I want to limit each collaborator to view and edit the information relevant to them only from within reports that I share with them - is it possible that they can be "viewer only" on the sheet, but "editor" on the report? Or is it possible to not be shared to the sheet at all, but still able to comment on the report?

Tony Coleman

I'll watch this one for the others to comment on, I think permissions as you are requesting are not possible - but will be very happy to be proven wrong.

 

Another point though, Webforms and entries appearing many lines down.  Make sure at the bottom of your sheet (assuming your webforms are set to put new entries at the bottom) - delete any dead rows, you might find that there is a lot of seemingly unpopulated rows, but they might actually be counting as a valid rows (an auto-number rowID would point them out as well).  So just delete anything after the last entry and see if that improves it.

Mike Wilday

Tony is correct, you can't adjust the permissions as you are desiring to do. But Smartsheet will use autofill to continue your rows with formulas.

But when you or another user drag-fills the formula down to the bottom of the sheet, it then populates those "extra rows" Smartsheet always adds to your sheet. Thus making them actual data on your sheet, even if the formula is appearing blank, it's still there.

After applying a formula to your entire sheet, ALWAYS delete every blank row after your data and save. Smartsheet will create additional "blank" rows (not sure why they do this). But those blank rows will autofill the formula into the columns you created whether entered manually or via webform. HOWEVER. If your bottom row is ever manually adjusted to a value other than the formula then the formula will stop auto-filling down.

For more on auto-filling see: https://help.smartsheet.com/articles/1641473-auto-filling-formulas-and-formatting

Adam Hutchinson

Thanks for responding.  It seems user education is the key to stopping this issue from occurring!