Folder-level permissions

Dayna

We use workspaces for each of our teams, and different folders in each workspace for each project. Making a new workspace for each project would just make things too complicated and messy - but sometimes we pull in people from other departments for certain projects, and would want to share them to the project folder but not the workspace. Right now we share them to the sheets within the folders, but then it's messy for their Smartsheet experience and they are less inclined to use Smartsheet generally without the same folder structure as the rest of the team. Bringing in more departments to Smartsheet would be wonderful and sharing at the folder level would be an easy way to do so!

Roger Koon

This widely requested feature was acknowledged by Mark Mader (I think it was Mark...it's been a while) during Smartsheet Engage 2019, in the main auditorium, and was met with thunderous applause. Hopefully, whatever architectural changes were made to accommodate all of the significant, new features coming out of Engage 2023, will eventually allow for access controls at the folder level. It's exceedingly difficult to meet requirements for ISO 27001 without it, and still maintain high usability.

jacquedale

I have requested this feature previously as well. I know it is a pain point for many of us. At Engage last week I spoke with tch support and I was told about the use of "groups" in the admin center.

This is actually a great work around for this "lack". If you set up your various groups and share a given sub-folder to that group you can manage access that way. If someone needs to be added or deleted you simply do that in the group and it will waterfall to any shared assets.

Hope this helps.

Chrissy_Baxter

I would love to see this too. Too many workspaces are causing me headaches.

NavyPilot

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/comment/388778#Comment_388778

It's been at least TWO YEARS since I first saw this feature requested. You can't implement a feature like this in two years?

NavyPilot

Does the Smartsheet team even read these? No one has commented on it. Seriously thinking of an alternate solution for my company.

jacquedale

@NavyPilot I know its frustrating...this seems like a pretty simple adjustment. But here is a previous comment I made regarding this:

I have requested this feature previously as well. I know it is a pain point for many of us. At Engage last week I spoke with tch support and I was told about the use of "groups" in the admin center.

This is actually a great work around for this "lack". If you set up your various groups and share a given sub-folder to that group you can manage access that way. If someone needs to be added or deleted you simply do that in the group and it will waterfall to any shared assets.

Carson Penticuff

This is absolutely needed for obvious reasons. I assumed this was an option and was super frustrated because I could not find a way to implement it until I did some searching and realized it wasn't possible.

Matthew L

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/comment/398134#Comment_398134

@jacquedale, this sort of works but you still need to share files within the folder with that group manually. Also if any new files are added to the folder you need to make sure to manually share the file with the group again. This can be confusing for new users or for large teams if they need to work collaboratively and are not familiar with the nuances of sharing items within Smartsheet.

This is why folder permissions are so important here even with the use of groups. I use groups and know it would make my life a lot easier if I could share a folder directly with a group so that they inherit sharing permissions on all the files within that folder.

SJ Sellers

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/comment/398134#Comment_398134

@jacquedale

In your note you reference "share a given sub-folder to that group", however, it is not possible to share a sub-folder. You can only share items within a sub-folder individually. Meaning that if you have 20 items in a folder you would need to perform the share action 20 times.

XR_Tech404

Keeping this request alive!

<<Insert something about Stayin' Alive by the Bee Gees>>

jacquedale

Well my "work around" isn't perfect, but its better than the alternative. 🙃

RhondaRhocks

Wanted to keep this much needed enhancement, Folder-level permissions, thread going. Four pages and two years later...are these read by Smartsheet?

I am a long time SS cert user and once license and group administrator; however, my new employer does not allow me to be a group administrator by default, I am reaching out to see if I can become one and providing this thread.

I have an executive with multiple projects who wants to give his supporting teams the autonomy to manage their projects with only few metrics from each group that would roll up to him in his dashboard. Each team does not have any cross-over as they develop their projects but as a leader there is some coordination/oversight needed.

A.J.

This issue comes up every time that SmartSheet is discussed. It's often a reason that teams do not want to engage with SmartSheet in our org.

Renee V

Adding my voice to this topic. Can SmartSheet team members please comment back to us? Sharing at the folder level would make life so much easier.