Dropdown List Per Cell Using API?

TechTeam

I have been doing a ton of research on how to do a dropdown at the CELL level, instead of column level. All signs point to this being a lost cause, as the feature has been being requested for 5+ years now.

However, one forum response indicated this is possible through API. Does anyone know if this is the case? If yes, how do I make that happen?

If no, are there any other workarounds to make this possible?

Genevieve P.

Hi @TechTeam

If I'm understanding you correctly, you want to have different dropdown options appear per-cell in the same column. This currently isn't possible, via the UI or API - dropdown list options are set for the entire column.

I believe the post you are referring to where API is suggested was for a different functionality (updating dropdown lists based on a different sheet's data).

Depending on your use-case, you could set up multiple columns with your different selections then show the relevant ones via a Form (with logic set up), and in the source sheet have one "master" column where the final selections appear, using a formula.

Cheers,

Genevieve

RAllen

Hi @Genevieve P.

Would it be possible to have an API that would filter a list of e.g. Employees and departments from a contacts sheet, then filter the list of employees from a particular department as part of a drop-down for a 'department assignee column'?

Genevieve P.

Hi @RAllen

There currently isn't a way to only show specific items from a larger, single list of dropdown options - you would need to split out the values into different columns to house the data (which yes, you could do using the API).

RAllen

@Genevieve P. please allow me to clarify as that isn't what I intended. I figured you may have seen something like this already in anAPI somewhere : )

Do you know of any APIs already done that could gather all the "Dx-Digital" under Group, returning the Contacts, Then create/maintain and update dropdown items in another sheet.

I can do it in excel, but it isn't native in SS, and there is no direct formula access in the dropdowns (Otherwise I could use helpers to filter groups and point the dropdown list there to use as a reference).

If I can't find it, i'm going to have to add SS API to my coding repertoire... Just don't have time at the moment.

Genevieve P.

Hi @RAllen

Thank you for clarifying! This definitely helps.

You're correct, there is no native way of doing this through the UI at the moment. Please add your vote and voice to this Product Idea thread: Datasources for Dropdown Menus

Smartsheet does have a premium add-on called Data Shuttle that can update a dropdown list based on values in another sheet, see: Create dynamic dropdowns with Data Shuttle. Smartsheet's other product, Bridge, can do this as well.

Data Shuttle and Bridge both leverage the API, so if you do have time to dig into the API then it's possible to do it that way as well. I haven't done this myself, but I would assume you'd use Get Sheet with a filter for your array, then Update Column to add/update the column values based on that list.

Cheers,

Genevieve