This is the first-week guide to SmartSuite (this page was titled Getting Started with SmartSuite). Follow the ten steps in order, or pick your role or your goal below; every step is a short article that ends with one Next step line to the next one.
About 100 minutes for the whole path, spread over your first week minutes.
Plan Availability | All plan types, including the 14-day free trial of the Professional plan. |
Permissions | Every member can follow the path. Steps 3, 4 and 8 need the Solution Creator or Administrator role (creating a solution) and the Administrator role (inviting members). |
Platform | Web |
Related Reading |
What will I have at the end of the week?
A solution of your own, from a Solution Library template or from scratch, with your data in it.
Tables linked to each other, a view that shows the work the way your team thinks about it, and a dashboard.
Your team invited with the right role for each person, and the solution shared with them.
A place to get help: office hours, the Academy, the community and the support chat.
What are the ten steps, in order?
What SmartSuite is (5 minutes): SmartSuite Quickstart Guide. The structure and the features in one read.
How the pieces fit (5 minutes): How are workspaces, solutions, tables, records and fields related: Guide to SmartSuite's Structure.
Build something in ten minutes (10 minutes): Quick start: build your first solution in ten minutes.
Start your real solution (15 minutes): Start from a Solution Library template, or build it yourself with How do I build my first solution, tables, fields and records: Build your First Workflow.
Bring your data in (10 minutes): CSV/Excel Data Import.
Connect your tables (10 minutes): How do I connect tables within and across solutions: Guide to Connecting Your Workflows.
Show the work the right way (15 minutes): Guide to View Types, then Getting Started with Dashboards.
Bring your team in (10 minutes): Invite your team and set roles in your first week, then Collaborate with your Team.
Your role's checklist (10 minutes): Administrator's first week in SmartSuite, Builder's first week in SmartSuite or Member's first week in SmartSuite.
Keep going (5 minutes): What to do in week two.
Which path fits my role?
Pick the checklist that matches what you will do in the workspace. The role names are the ones SmartSuite uses when a member is invited.
You are. | Your SmartSuite role. | Start with. |
The person who set up the workspace and manages members, billing and settings. | Workspace Administrator. | |
The person who builds solutions, tables, fields, views and automations for others. | Solution Creator, or General Access with the Solution Manager permission on a solution. | |
Someone who works in solutions other people built. | General Access. |
Which path fits my goal?
Each goal path is a 20-minute tutorial that ends with a working solution you can keep.
When are live office hours?
Live office hours run every weekday at 9:00 am PT on Zoom with a SmartSuite Product Specialist; register on the office hours registration page. This line is the schedule of record for the help center, and every other article links here.
Where else can I learn?
Getting Started Videos: the 13-part video series with the written steps for each part.
SmartSuite Academy: free self-paced courses in three tracks and three certifications.
How do I use the SmartSuite Community?: ask other customers and the SmartSuite team.
Learning SmartSuite: every live session and resource on one page.
Support: the message icon in the lower-right corner of any SmartSuite page.
Frequently asked questions
I am on a free trial. Does this guide apply to me?
Yes. The 14-day free trial runs on the Professional plan with no credit card, so every step works in a trial workspace. Nothing is charged when the trial ends.
I do not see the + New Solution button. Why?
Your role does not allow it. Only Solution Creators and Administrators create solutions; ask your Administrator to change your role or to create the solution for you.
I was invited and SmartSuite opened straight into a solution. Is that right?
Yes. A General Access, Guest or View Only member with access to one solution opens that solution directly at sign-in. Start with the Member's first week checklist.
How long does the first week take?
About 100 minutes of reading and doing across the ten steps. Most people do steps 1 to 4 on day one and the rest over the week.
Next step: SmartSuite Quickstart Guide.
Last verified 22 Oct 2026 against the pricing page (14-day Professional trial, plans), the Roles and Home Page articles, and the office hours schedule as the Moving to SmartSuite and Community articles state it