Conditional Column Visibility Within Sheets (Dynamic Columns Based on Filed Selection)
Forms in Smartsheet support conditional logic. However, the sheet interface itself does not currently support rules-based column behavior.
We are requesting the ability to define logic that dynamically controls column visibility based on values selected in another column.
Proposed Behavior:
Allow administrators to define rules such as:
- If Phase = “Validation” → display validation-related columns
- If Phase ≠ “Validation” → suppress validation-related columns
- If Status = “Blocked” → display resolution and dependency fields
- If Status ≠ “Blocked” → suppress those fields
This would enable the sheet grid to respond intelligently to workflow state.
Why This Is Important
Our sheets represent full lifecycle processes. A single sheet must contain all phases for governance, reporting, and blueprint provisioning, yet only a subset of fields is relevant at any given time.
Without rules-based column behavior:
• Sheets become excessively wide (30+ columns)
• Users scroll horizontally and overlook required inputs
• Data accuracy declines
• Training overhead increases
• Teams duplicate sheets to simplify execution
With rule-driven visibility:
• The sheet becomes workflow-aware and state-aware
• Users interact only with fields relevant to their current phase
• Data quality improves
• Blueprint-driven solutions scale more cleanly
• Administrative complexity decreases
This would elevate Smartsheet from a static tracking grid to an intelligent execution interface.
Additional Enterprise-Oriented Enhancements
- Conditional Required Fields - Allow columns to become required only when defined conditions are met Example: “Block Reason” required only when Status = Blocked
- Collapsible Column Groups - Allow logical column groupings (e.g., Intake, Execution, Validation, Closeout) to collapse/expand within the sheet
- Blueprint-Level Logic Inheritance - Allow rule definitions to be set once within Control Center so provisioned sheets inherit the logic automatically
Business Impact
We are building a standardized operational framework intended for reuse across multiple departments. This feature would directly reduce configuration complexity while improving:
• Data integrity
• User adoption
• Training time
• Blueprint scalability
• Governance reporting quality
This capability would meaningfully enhance enterprise workflow design within Smartsheet.
