Backing Up Your Data

You can back up Smartsheet data to local files and restore Smartsheet items from those files. 

Backup file size is limited to 4 GB.

Backup contents

• Sheet backups include sheet data, comments, and attachments.
• Backups don’t include reports, dashboards, formulas, workflows, cross-sheet references, formatting information, or custom configurations.
• Workspace backups include the workspace's sheets but not the workspace structure. Restoring a solution requires rebuilding each Smartsheet item.

Backup options

If you're on a Business or Enterprise plan, you can request one of the following backups:

• One-time backup
• Recurring weekly backup
• Sheet snapshot from a specific point in time from the sheet's Activity Log

Users of any plan type can manually export one or more sheets or reports. 

To request a sheet or workspace backup, you need Viewer permissions or higher. You must be the workspace Owner or Admin to request recurring workspace backups.

Tips for managing backup data

• Schedule recurring weekly backups. This is for Business and Enterprise plans only.
• Set a reminder to export your data at the start or end of every workday.
• Check your IT department's existing backup processes.
• Copy your dashboards to files via File > Save as New... It creates a local version of the dashboards with all the widgets and formulas in place, just in case. 

Understand and resolve formatting issues in Smartsheet backups

Smartsheet backup data might not retain original formatting, but you can manage backups and formatting effectively.

You can't see formatting information when you export your data to a backup. The sheet stores the formatting information, and it’s separate from your data.

When you import data from a backup into a new sheet, you may need to reformat (word wrap, bold, conditional formatting) once you’ve reimported your data.

If your sheet includes hierarchy (indenting or outdenting to create subtasks), the rows are grouped in outline format in the exported Excel file.

In Excel, select the + (plus icon) to the left of the row numbers to expand any collapsed rows and reveal the subtasks.

For more information about using hierarchy in Smartsheet, see Hierarchy: Indent or outdent rows.