Control data entry in a column

Specify data type and acceptable values for a column. 

Who can use this?

Plans:

  • Pro
  • Business
  • Enterprise

Permissions:

  • Owner
  • Admin

Find out if this capability is included in Smartsheet Regions or Smartsheet Gov.

You can use specific column types in a sheet to restrict data entry to values that make sense for your sheet. 

The following column types allow you to restrict data entry to specific values:

  • Dropdown list
  • Dates
  • Contact list
  • Checkbox
  • Symbols

The column restrictions you apply to a sheet apply to any web forms associated with the sheet.

Restrict column data to specific values

  1. Right-click a column header or select Column Menu  Kebab menu icon . 
  2. Select Edit Column Properties.
  3. Name your column.
  4. Set Column Type to the type you want. See the Column types reference for details.
  5. Set or select the values for the column.
  6. Turn on the Restrict to toggle and select OK.
Edit Column Properties panel with restrict to values turned on

The column is now restricted to the values you specified.

Owners and Admins can bypass data validation. They receive a warning message if they attempt to enter a different value from those specified as valid for the column.

In some column types, users may still be able to enter text or values different from the preset values. 

For example, your sheet can have a checkbox column; however, collaborators can still add free text and overwrite the checkbox.

Users can't overwrite values in columns of the following types:

- Auto number
- Latest comment
- Created by
- Created date
- Modified by
- Modified date