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Grouping

Create collections of records using any field and data attribute.

Emma Montgomery avatar
Written by Emma Montgomery
Updated over 2 weeks ago

Grouping records is a powerful way to visualize data and streamline workflows. With grouping, you can dynamically organize and display records based on fields, making it easier to analyze and act on your data.

Plan Availability

All plan types

Permissions

General Access, Solution Creators

Related Reading

The Group control is in the Report Toolbar and is available in Grid, Card, Calendar, Timeline and Map views.

The Group control is available in these views:

  • Grid

  • Card

  • Gantt

  • Calendar

  • Timeline

  • Map

However, it is not available in Kanban View. Kanban automatically groups records based on specific field types, such as Status fields or Single Select fields, using its “Column Grouping” and “Swimlane Grouping” settings.

Working with Grouping

Select any field within the Group control and the associated display order to dynamically rearrange records. Grouping display order options are based on the field type selected:

  • Text-based fields are ordered alphabetically (A to Z, Z to A)

  • Numeric & Date Fields are ordered ascending (1 to 9) or descending (9 to 1)

  • Values list fields such as Single Select are ordered by the position of values in the list (First to Last, Last to First). For example, consider a Status field with Backlog, In Process, Ready for Review, and Complete values. Selecting "First to Last" will group and order all records with Backlog values first since it is the first option in the Status field value list.

Multiple Groupings

Create nested Groups to further organize records:

NOTE: SmartSuite currently supports up to 3 levels of grouping


Grouping in Grid View

The Column Control in Grid View provides an option to quickly Group by the column (field).

⭐️ Pro Tip: The ability to collapse and expand record groupings is a powerful feature, particularly when working with large data sets.

Expanding and Collapsing Groups

You can collapse and expand grouped records by clicking on the group field name, or Collapse All button in the Group control.

Shortcut with New Records

Grouping provide a handy 👐🏼 shortcut when adding new records in Grid View. When you click the + beneath a row in the grid, the new record will automatically 💫 populate with the grouping values applied to the new record. 🕺🏼


Grouping in Card View

Visually order cards in Card View using the same Group control in the Report Toolbar.


Grouping in Timeline View

Record groupings are displayed on the left side of Timeline View and also reflected in the cards within the Record Listing panel on the right.


Grouping in Calendar & Map Views

Groups don’t impact the Calendar or Map itself, rather it groups the records in the Record Listing panel in Calendar View and Map View while the records remain static on the view.


Grouping in Gantt View

In Gantt View, grouping organizes tasks based on a specific parameter, such as Project, Owner, or Status, making it easier to track related tasks.

  • Group Bars: When tasks are grouped (e.g., by Project), a summary bar appears above each group, showing the overall timeline. In the example, projects like Avon Product Line Launch have their own bars.

  • Tasks Within Groups: Related tasks are listed below the group bar, displaying their individual timelines. For example, tasks like Business Requirement and Technical Requirements appear under the Avon Product Line Launch.

  • Timeline Overview: Group bars give a quick view of the project’s duration, while tasks show detailed timelines and dependencies.


Practical Scenarios and Use Cases

Departmental Collaboration

Scenario: The Marketing team manages campaigns and projects across various departments.

Solution: Use grouping to organize tasks by project phase or campaign type for better visibility.

Project Milestones Tracking

Scenario: A product team tracks milestones across several projects.

Solution: Group records by milestone status (e.g., In Progress, Completed) to monitor progress at a glance.

Location-Based Assignments

Scenario: A sales team operates across different regions.

Solution: Group opportunities by region to streamline follow-ups and reporting.

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