Troubleshooting: How Smartsheet handles time zones

When you set up your Smartsheet account, you can change your time zone in Account > Personal Settings > Settings> Time Zone. 

However, if your account is set up via sharing (someone shared an object with you, and you responded to an email asking you to create an account), the time zone is set to that of where the request originated.

If you’re not in the same time zone as the person who initiated the sharing request, you can reset the time zone in Personal Settings. 

Time zones and sheets

When using the TODAY() formula, Smartsheet calculates it based on the time zone of the person viewing the sheet. 

When working with automations, the trigger’s time zone is the same as the sheet Owner’s time zone. 

Time zones and system columns

System columns always use UTC in the back-end, while the display value matches the time zone of the last person to access the sheet. This means that, although the display value is in the sheet-viewers time zone, formulas and API calls using system column data may return based on the UTC time zone.

Pacific Time overrides

When changes are made to a sheet via automation, cell links, or cross-sheet formulas, the whole sheet is converted to Pacific Time. Automation services are hosted by service users with a Pacific Time setting. This means that TODAY() formulas and display system column display values may get updated if you're in a different time zone.