Data Linking Source Sheet Viewer Permission

C McKinlay

I'm concerned about the low level permission given to the source sheet access to link data to a new sheet. Currently, you only need viewer permissions on a source sheet to map that data to another sheet in Table View.

In order to bring that data into a new sheet the source sheet permission should be Editor-can share at minimum. Lowering it to viewer means anyone with a membership can link and then share.

If anyone has any guidance on how to manage this from a data sharing and goverance stand point that would be great!

kowal

hi @C McKinlay,

I must disagree on your statement. I think the Viewer permission is pretty ok to have on source sheet to link it another sheet. Viewing means that the data can be read but cant be changed. Why only Editor can read from the source sheet?

Isaac A.

Hi @C McKinlay!

Thanks @kowal for sharing your perspective, I totally see where you're coming from. Technically, when setting up a column link, you're not accessing or editing the source sheet directly, but rather selecting the column data through a separate interface/pop-up window. That said, I understand the concern from a governance standpoint, especially when it comes to broader access and data sharing controls.

It’s always helpful to hear this kind of feedback, and I’d recommend submitting your idea to the Smartsheet Product Feedback and Ideas topic so the Product team can consider it for future improvements.

As an alternative, you might explore using Dynamic View if you’re looking for tighter control over who can view or edit specific data. Dynamic View allows collaborators to view or update row-level information without giving them full access to the sheet or report. More info here: Manage Processes at Scale with Dynamic View

I hope this helps!

Cheers,
Isaac.