Permissions define how each user works with Smartsheet. Learn more about permission-based seat types (User Subscription Model) or user types (Legacy Collaborator Model), Admin access types, and more.
USM Content
Seat types
In the User Subscription Model, users are automatically assigned a seat type based on how they're shared to core items in Smartsheet. These user types affect whether you need to pay for those users or not.
As a System Admin, understanding seat types is key to managing access, minimizing costs, and confidently navigating reconciliation periods. You can reduce a user's access by changing their seat type. If they need a higher level of access to an item, they need to request it in the item.
Overview of seat types
Seat type | Description | Who can be this type? |
|---|---|---|
Member | A paid user with full access to Smartsheet features | Internal or external users |
Provisional Member | A temporary seat type with full access, pending review during reconciliation | Internal or external users |
Viewer | A user with view-only access | Internal or external users |
Guest | A limited-access user (Editor or Commenter) who is external only | External users only (Business/Enterprise plans) |
Provisional Members are automatically promoted to paid Members at your true-up date unless you downgrade them during reconciliation.
Internal vs. external users
Whether a user is internal or external depends on their email domain:
- Internal user: Has an email address that belongs to a domain associated with your Smartsheet plan
- External user: Has an email address that doesn't belong to any domains associated with your Smartsheet plan
If you're unsure which domains are associated with your plan, reach out to the Support team through the Smartsheet Support Portal for assistance.
Seat type | Internal user | External user |
|---|---|---|
Member | Can be assigned at any time | Can be assigned at any time |
Provisional Member | Triggered by Commenter+ permissions plus qualifying action | Triggered by Admin permissions plus qualifying action |
Viewer | Triggered by view-only sharing | Triggered by view-only sharing |
Guest | Not applicable | Triggered by Editor or Commenter access |
Pro plans don’t support the Guest seat type. External users are treated the same as internal users.
Seat type assignments
When sharing a core item with a new user, Smartsheet automatically assigns a seat type based on the permission level selected.
Sharing scenario | Resulting seat type |
|---|---|
Internal user shared with Viewer permissions | Viewer |
Internal user shared with Commenter permissions or higher | Viewer with the ability to take a qualifying action and become a Provisional Member |
External user shared with Viewer permissions | Viewer |
External user shared with Editor or Commenter permissions (Business or Enterprise plan) | Guest |
External user shared with Admin permissions (Business or Enterprise plan) | Guest with the ability to take a qualifying action and become a Provisional Member |
Pro plans don't support the Guest seat type. External users are treated the same as internal users.
Can I change seat types?
Yes. System Admins can:
- Downgrade a Member or provisional Member to Viewer, Guest, or remove their access
- Deactivate users who no longer need any access to Smartsheet
Users can be upgraded to a different seat type when they're shared to core items with Commenter or higher permissions and then take a qualifying action.
You can also edit a user from the User Management page in Admin Center.
To see how seat types are currently assigned on your plan, download the seat type report from the Admin Center. It shows each user's seat type, email, and internal vs. external status—helpful when reviewing access or preparing for reconciliation.
For more on managing seat types, see Manage users in the User Subscription Model.
Admin user accounts
| Role | Description |
|---|---|
| System Admin * | A plan admin type that manages users, account-level settings, security policies, and licenses |
| Plan Asset Admin | A plan admin type that manages access requests on items without an Owner or Admin |
| Group Admin | A plan admin type that can create and manage groups of users using Smartsheet contact lists |
* A single System Admin may serve as the primary System Admin for only one plan at a time. While a System Admin can be designated as the primary System Admin for two different plans in the EU and US instances, they can't be the primary System Admin for two plans within the same instance.
Free seat types
- In Business and Enterprise plans, there are two types of free users: Viewers and Guests.
- In Pro plans, there are only Viewers.
Additional user types
Some Smartsheet plans include specialized user types for advanced features:
- Resource Viewers: Track allocation across projects in Legacy Resource Management. Requires a license under a Business or Enterprise plan. Learn more about Resource Viewers.
- Connector users: If your organization uses a Smartsheet Connector (like Salesforce or Jira), see Connector user types for more information.
New plans using Resource Management by Smartsheet don't include Resource Viewer roles.
LCM Content
User types
In the Legacy Collaborator Model, user types and access levels are based on whether someone has been assigned a license and how they’re shared to Smartsheet items. This model uses licensing directly to determine whether a user has full access or is considered a free user.
| User type | Description |
|---|---|
| Licensed User | An internal or external user with paid access and full Smartsheet features. |
| Unlicensed Admin or Editor | An internal user with Admin or Editor permissions but no license and no ability to create Smartsheet items Or An external user with Admin permissions (on at least one item) but no license and no ability to create Smartsheet items |
| Viewer | A user with view-only access and no license |
| Guest | An external user with Editor or Commenter access and no license |
| System Admin * | A plan admin type that manages users, account-level settings, security policies, and licenses |
| Plan Asset Admin | A plan admin type that manages access requests on items without an Owner or Admin |
| Group Admin | A plan admin type that can create and manage groups of users using Smartsheet contact lists |
* A single System Admin may serve as the primary System Admin for only one plan at a time. While a System Admin can be designated as the primary System Admin for two different plans in the EU and US instances, they can't be the primary System Admin for two plans within the same instance.
How user types are assigned
User types in the Legacy Collaborator Model are primarily based on whether the person has a license. If the person doesn't have a license, the permissions they're given on shared items (Viewer, Editor, Admin), plus whether or not they are internal or external to the plan, determine user type.
Think of it like this:
- Licenses affect whether someone is paid
- Permissions affect what they can do
- User type is the outcome of both
To learn more about permission levels and what they allow, see Sharing permissions on sheets, reports, or workspaces.
System Admins can manage licenses in the User Management page in Admin Center.
Internal vs. external users
Whether a user is internal or external depends on their email domain:
- Internal users: Have email addresses that match your organization's domain(s).
- External users: Have email addresses that don’t match your organization's domain(s).
Free user types
Free users are unlicensed users. They can collaborate in your plan without being assigned paid access. They include:
- Viewers
- Guests
- Unlicensed Editors or Admins
Additional user types
Some Smartsheet plans include specialized user types for advanced features:
Resource Viewers: Track allocation across projects in Legacy Resource Management. Requires a license under a Business or Enterprise plan. Learn more about Resource Viewers.
Connector users: If your organization uses a Smartsheet Connector (like Salesforce or Jira), see Connector user types for more information.
New plans using Resource Management by Smartsheet don't include Resource Viewer roles.