This page is practical. It covers the small number of things you need to do to get started — navigating your workspace, working in a sheet, and submitting a form. Nothing here requires prior experience of the platform.
Work through it in order. Each step builds on the last.
1. Finding your way around
When you log into Smartsheet, you’ll land on the Home screen. The left-hand panel is your main navigation. Everything in your workspace — sheets, reports, dashboards, and forms — is accessible from here.
Your solution will typically be organised into a workspace folder. Look for it in the left panel under Workspaces or Browse. Inside, you’ll find the components grouped together.
If you can’t see your workspace, check that you’re logged in with the correct email address. If it still isn’t there, contact your internal Smartsheet administrator — access is managed by your organisation.
The difference between a sheet, a report, and a dashboard
- Sheet — where the data lives. This is where updates are made and information is captured.
- Report — a filtered view of sheet data. Read-only. Updates automatically as the underlying sheet changes.
- Dashboard — a visual summary. Charts, metrics, and key information in one place. No raw data — just the view you need.
Depending on your role, you may primarily work in sheets, primarily view dashboards, or move between both.
2. Working in a sheet
Open a sheet from your left-hand panel. You’ll see a grid of rows and columns. Each row is a record — a task, a request, a project, or whatever your process tracks.
Editing a cell
- Double-click any cell to edit it. Press Enter or Tab to move to the next cell. Changes save automatically — there is no save button.
- Some cells are formula-driven and will recalculate automatically. Status indicators and health columns in particular are typically calculated based on other columns. Don’t overwrite them manually unless you’ve been told they’re editable.
Adding an attachment
- Right-click any row and select Attachments, or click the paperclip icon on the row. You can attach files from your computer, Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox, or paste a link. Attachments are visible to everyone with access to the sheet.
Adding a comment
- Right-click any row and select Comments, or click the speech bubble icon. Use comments for context that doesn’t belong in a column — a note, a question, a decision that needs recording. You can @mention a colleague to notify them directly.
- Comments are stored against the row and visible to everyone with sheet access. They are not private.
Changing how you view a sheet
- Smartsheet offers several views of the same data: Grid, Card (Kanban), Gantt, and Calendar. Switch between them using the toolbar at the top of the sheet. The underlying data is the same — only the presentation changes.
3. Submitting a form
Smartsheet forms are how structured information enters a sheet without the submitter needing direct access to it. If your solution includes a form — for requests, intake, updates, or registrations — it will have been shared with you as a link.
You don’t need a Smartsheet account to complete a form. Colleagues without a login can submit one via the link. Complete the fields and click Submit. The data appears on the relevant sheet immediately.
What you don’t need to worry about yet
At this stage, you don’t need to know how to build sheets, create automations, configure dashboards, or manage user permissions.
Keep your data up to date and use the tools as they’ve been set up. As your confidence grows, Prodactive is here to help you get more from the platform.
Want to get more from Smartsheet?
Prodactive builds and implements Smartsheet solutions for teams across a wide range of industries. If you’d like to talk about how Smartsheet could work harder for your organisation, we’re happy to have that conversation. Get in touch with Prodactive
Free template: see the structure in action
Download Prodactive’s free Simple Project Solution to explore a fully built sheet and dashboard in your own Smartsheet account. Download the Simple Project Solution
NEXT IN THE SERIES: Stage 3: Working with your team in Smartsheet
PREVIOUS: Stage 1: What is Smartsheet – and how does it work
QUESTIONS?
If something isn’t clear or you’d like to talk through your setup, get in touch with the Prodactive team. We’re here.
