Smartsheet Basics

Smartsheet Basics

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Locking down a sheet in a shared workspace

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If I have a workspace that I've shared to my department, is there a way to create a sheet within that workspace but lock it down so only a couple people can access it?

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    I thought that would be the answer but hoped I would get a different one. I think something like this is possible in SharePoint.

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    Looking to do the same but getting the answer that you can't do this. I would have expected this to be a feature.


    There are some sheets that you don't want everyone to see and you do not want to have 3/4 shared workspaces for 1 project.

  • edited 02/13/25

    Unfortunately most of the entry-level project and file, and document control tools (Sharepoint, SmartSheet) do not have good permission controls. Smartsheet is a very entry-level tool that is designed to be a one-tool-fits-all solution for companies, and there are a lot of things it is not good at.

    SmartSheet does not use CRUD (create, read, update, delete) permissions, which is the most flexible ideal for managing complex projects. CRUD is a common methodology for software and database permissioning, and as the space owner you determine who can do what. Within a workspace it allows you to hide sheets/files from general view so only you, or you and specific collaborators/leaders can see them. It allows you to grant write permissions but not delete permissions, which are critical for many high-risk and high-budget projects. Most entry level tools offer only two levels: "Read" and "Everything". Unfortunately this means many users have visibility to things they should not which creates political problems and lack of focus, and then can completely alter project document structures or blow away history by deleting things.

    In practice, I have never personally had a case where I had to separte "create" and "update" permissions, but I regularly have had many situations where I had to limit "read" access to specific project files/sheets, or in the vast majority of projects I limit "delete". I have had the unfortulate experience of a quality manager permanently delete 18 months of regression test history from a multi-year project project by overwriting a file instead of updating it with a new version, and after that I learned "delete" permissions should be granted very sparingly.

    Expecting people to create multiple workspaces to limit Smartsheet visibility is crazy. It is impossible to keep track of except in people's personal memories, and you would have to expect leaders to go to different SmartSheet workspaces to see files that are only for them, but then go to the shared workspace to see the dashboards. Years later or afte a project manager has left, you will never stitch the multiple workspaces back together. It is a nightmare.

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