Highlight changes made to a sheet

To quickly identify and review the changes that have been made to a sheet, use Highlight Changes.

Who can use this?

Plans:

  • Smartsheet
  • Pro
  • Business
  • Enterprise

Activate Highlight Changes

  1. Open the sheet and switch to Grid view, if you're not already using it.
  2. Select More  (horizonal dots) on the toolbar, and then select Highlight Changes  highlight changes .
  3. Move the slider to ON.
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highlight changes
  1. Under Highlight changes in the last, select a time interval.

    If you enable the I last viewed this sheet option, you'll see highlighted changes since you last viewed the sheet—anyone else who views the sheet sees changes since they last viewed it.
  2. Select Background Color  highlight changes  to set the highlight color.
  3. Select the X in the upper-right corner of the window to close it and save your settings.

Who sees the highlighting

If you turn Highlight Changes on or off and save the sheet, you turn it on or off for everyone shared to the sheet.

If someone has added a comment or added or edited attachments in the specified time period, the icon in that row is highlighted. Changes to the comments are not highlighted.

To review details about the change, including the time the change was made and the email address of the person who made it, right-click on the cell and select View Cell History.

You can set up Notifications to receive email alerts when changes are made to a sheet. Learn more about notifications.

Highlight changes settings

Highlight Changes has eight settings. The settings refresh down to the minute when accessing a sheet. The table below indicates the starting time at which changes are highlighted based on the time unit selected (column 1) and two example viewing times (shown in the last two column names).

Highlight changes in the last:Sheet Viewed on 12/12/23 at 6:00 PMSheet Viewed on 12/12/23 at 6:15 PM
Hoursince 12/12/23 5:00 PMsince 12/12/23 5:15 PM
Todaysince 12/12/23 12:00 AMsince 12/12/23 12:00 AM
Daysince 12/11/23 5:00 PMsince 12/11/23 5:15 PM
Three Dayssince 12/09/23 5:00 PMsince 12/09/23 5:15 PM
Seven Dayssince 12/05/23 5:00 PMsince 12/05/23 5:15 PM
Thirty Dayssince 11/12/23 5:00 PMsince 11/12/23 20 5:15 PM
Custom Datesince (Date Selected) 12:00 AMsince (Date Selected) 12:00 AM
I last viewed this sheetsince the last date and time the sheet is refreshed for the person viewing the sheet.since the last date and time the sheet is refreshed for the person viewing the sheet.