How to copy a sheet without updating system generated columns Created By and Last Modified By?

Win LeDinh

I would like to back up a sheet that contains two system generated columns, Created By and Last Modified By, which currently are populated for all of the rows. When I tried saving the current sheet as a new sheet, all of my rows in the new sheet get messed up because many columns contain formulas that extract the data based on the Created By column, which Smartsheet automatically updates to my email address, rather than retaining the email addresses from the original sheet. I want to retain the original user's email addresses.

I also tried creating a template from the original sheet, which seems to work, but when I create a new sheet from the template, the same thing happens- the new sheet Created By column gets updated to my email address.

How do I back up or copy a sheet that contains system generated columns, which preserves those original values, and not have it updated to my email address?

Genevieve P.

Hi Win,

As you have found, System Generated Columns are unique to the sheet they are created in. This means that when you create a new sheet by saving your current sheet as "new", it generates these columns for the first time: making you the creator of all its rows (since you created the sheet), and making the created date when this new sheet was created.

Please submit an Enhancement Request for the ability to retain this information in copied sheets, when you have a moment!

In order to retain this information, you could change the way the data is input - for example, if the rows are created from a form, have the user manually input or select their name from a list, and also input the date submitted. I discussed a formula you could use to check information in this post (click here).

Cheers,

Genevieve