File library

In workspaces, file library serves as a central hub for storing, searching, and collaborating on files that are directly uploaded to the library, such as documents, presentations, images, and videos. Designed to integrate with your work in Smartsheet seamlessly, file library allows you to access files, maintain versioning, and collaborate asynchronously where projects are planned and resourced.

This feature is only available for plans using the User Subscription Model. If you're unsure about your model type, learn how to determine the model your plan is on.

File library is inaccessible for organizations with a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with Smartsheet. 

Access file library

1. Navigate to your home page in Smartsheet.
2. Select All workspaces and find the workspace associated with the file library you want to open.
3. Open the workspace.
4. On the solution panel,  select File library.

Your sharing permissions in the workspace determine how you can interact with the files in the file library. Learn more about what the various sharing permission levels can do.

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Add files to your file library

1. Select Upload on the toolbar. 

You can upload up to 100 files at once. You can edit the file names by selecting the header field when the file is opened.

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Tag files

Tags allow users to add searchable terms to their files. Once a tag is added, when that term is used in a file library search or filter action, that file will be included in the search results.

Files can have up to 25 tags each.

Add tags to files

All users with Editor permissions or higher can edit, add, or remove tags.

Add tags to a single file

1. Open a file and select Details.
2. Select the Tags field and type in any additional tags. Use Enter to move to the next tag.
3. Or select any of the suggested tags to add them to the tags list.

Add tags in bulk

1. Select all of the files you wish to tag.

Use shift select to select multiple files at once.

2. Select the tag icon on the toolbar.
3. Type all the necessary tags, and use Enter to move to the next tag.
4. Select Save to save your changes.

Adding tags in bulk, it might take a few minutes to be searchable and filterable.

AI-generated tags are automatically added to all files uploaded to the file library to assist with tagging manual labor. AI tags have a dotted outline, and user tags have a solid outline.

Delete tags by opening an asset and selecting the  X icon on the tag.

Search, sort, and filter your files

Search file library

Use the search feature in the file library to quickly find the files you need. Search only finds results within the current file library. Search also utilizes text extraction, and you find files based on text in documents.

Substring search is not supported at this time. For example, “mark” will not result in files with “marketing.”

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Sort your files

You can sort the files by upload date or name. Select Sort in the toolbar. 

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Filter your files

Use the filters to quickly locate files by file type, tags, upload date, and orientation.

1. Select Filter from the toolbar.

2. Set your filter criteria. 

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Collaborate with teammates

Annotations and comments

Add team members to the workspace to collaborate on files. Open a file and leave a comment with an @mention to start a conversation with a team member, or use the annotation tools to point out specific parts of an image or video to your teammates. Select the color and shape of the annotation, then leave a comment. The comment has the same number as the annotation icon, so other users can easily see the text and annotations that go together.

Annotations work on images, pdfs, and videos. You cannot annotate on Microsoft files.

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Approvals

You can request approvals on your files or vote on and leave feedback on your teammate’s files. Files that have been approved have a green checkmark near their name in the gallery view.

Request approval

1. Open the file.
2. Open the approvals tab
3. Select Request approval.
4. Fill in the approval invite details.
   1. Enter the email(s) for the reviewer(s).
   2. Add a due date.
   3. Add a subject.
   4. Add a message.
5. Select Create.

Reviewers receive an email and a Smartsheet notification requesting their approval on the file. When you request an approval from a user who does not already have access to the workspace or the individual file, they are granted access to the individual file. 

Approve files or require changes

When you receive an email or Smartsheet notification requesting approval on a file, you can open the file from the email or notification. Once you have opened the file, you can leave comments or annotate on the file as needed in the conversations tab . 

If your comments and annotations need to be addressed, navigate to the approvals tab and select Require changes and leave a comment about what changes are required for approval. If you are satisfied with the file as is, select Approve. 

Versioning workflow

After editing a file based on annotations and feedback from teammates, you can select the Versioning drop-down in the file header to upload another version. This replaces the current file with the newer version and avoids clutter.

You can access all previous versions at any time if needed. Conversations, annotations, metadata, and tags remain with their associated version.

Share files

Users must be added to the workspace to view all of the files.  You can @mention users in comments or copy the link from the file header to send a direct link to the file. If a user does not have access to the workspace, upon receiving the link, they will be prompted to request access.

Share a single file

You can share an individual file with any user, even users who are not a Member of the workspace. To share a file,

1. Open the file.
2. Select Share in the top right corner.
3. Choose whether you want to share the individual file or the entire workspace.
4. Enter the recipient's email address
5. Choose the permission level.
6. Select Share or copy the link to the file. 

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Download files

You can download files (up to 1000 at one time) by selecting the files and then the download icon in the upper right corner.

Current limitations

• Not supported in Smartsheet Mobile, Smartsheet Gov, or Smartsheet EU
• No manual way to subscribe/unsubscribe to conversation threads
• No attaching Items to comments
• Files are not accessible via sheets, reports, or dashboards
• Sheet content will not show up in the file library
• Users cannot access the file library in Brandfolder
• No substring search