Editing filters using Free license

Frank Falco

I have a user with a free license that until a few days ago could edit an existing Filter.

He was an Editor and suddenly started receiving this message:

According to the Sharing permissions page <https://help.smartsheet.com/articles/1155182-sharing-permission-levels> this user can

Create, edit, and delete shared filters (not available in single-user plan types)*

I changed his access to Admin and still the message appeared after refresh and logging out and signing back in.

Why is this happening, has something changed recently to cause this?

Genevieve P.

Hi Frank,

Free users can create their own personal filters, but they do not have the ability to create or edit shared filters. The asterisk at the end of your quote above indicates that this capability is only for licensed users (please see the italics at the bottom of the chart).

Is it possible that your free user was on a Trial which recently ended? Trial users would be able to create shared filters or edit shared filters for testing purposes.

Hope this helps!

Cheers,

Genevieve

murphsa1

I have a user indicating they are receiving same message as shown. She is an editor - cannot share ... but so are 80 others for this same sheet and the other users do not receive this same message. What is the issue/ resolution?

Genevieve P.

Hi @murphsa1

The difference here is between sheet sharing permissions (such as Editor, Admin, etc) and account license permissions (such as a free user or a paid user with a license).

It sounds like this user does not have a license with Smartsheet, but is a free Collaborator. Even if this user had Admin permissions on the sheet they would still receive the same pop-up message. Other users may have their own licenses, which is why they wouldn't see a prompt to upgrade. You can learn more about different types of users in our Help Center (see here for Free users, or here for an explanation of users in a multi-user plan).

This user you have screen captured should be able to create their own personal filters just for themselves, but they won't be able to create or edit shared filters... so any filter with this checkbox checked:

You can see the actions that an unlicensed, free Collaborator can take by looking at this chart (see here), based on their sharing permissions. Then, make sure that the action doesn't have an *, since an asterisk indicates that a license is required.

Let me know if this makes sense, or if I can clarify further!

Cheers,

Genevieve

Tyler Chelf

We ran into this issue too and discovered that if the user has a filter currently set any new filter will try to use it as a base. If that original filter has Share Filter checked, it gets pulled in as well and the free users get that error.

Can an enhancement be added in the future that if a free user tries to make a filter, it unchecks that box and then if they attempt to check it themselves the error pops up? Its not very clear the cause of the message the way it works now.

Hanneke Dorgelo

I am at a loss, I have sheets were the free user can filter ( same settings editor cannot share) and then sheets same structure were they cannot. They do not want to create a shared filter just one for there own use but still get that message. What is happening. This is a real problem for us. The third party who has to use my sheet does not have a license and cannot filter in a 100+ row sheet. This way it is not workable and we will have to switch back to excel and we do not want to do that! Do you have an idea what is the issue?

Hanneke Dorgelo

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/comment/261091#Comment_261091

"This user you have screen captured should be able to create their own personal filters just for themselves"

This is not possible

Andrée Starå

Hi @Hanneke Dorgelo

I hope you're well and safe!

Which Smartsheet plan do you have?

Be safe, and have a fantastic week!

Best,

Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

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Hanneke Dorgelo

Hi @Andrée Starå , Enterprise, hope you're well!

Andrée Starå

@Hanneke Dorgelo

I'm excellent! Thanks!

Do you know what account they have or what plan they are part of if they don't only have a free plan?

Hanneke Dorgelo

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/comment/349543#Comment_349543

Do you mean the company I work at? or the user who cannot filter. I do not know which account they have just that it is a paid one. The users of my sheet do not have a license

Andrée Starå

@Hanneke Dorgelo

Can you check what account they have? They might have the Pro plan, and that's the issue somehow.