To build a solution from scratch, select + New Solution on the Home Page and choose Build from Scratch. An empty solution opens, and you add its tables, fields and views.
Here is the test: does no template come close to your process? Build from scratch. If one comes close, install it and change it instead.
Example: an internal audit team runs a process no template covers. It builds an Audit Program solution from scratch, with an Engagements table, a Workpapers table and a Findings table linked to each engagement.
Plan Availability | All plan types. |
Permissions | Administrators and Solution Creators create solutions. The creator becomes the first Solution Manager. |
Platform | Web |
Related Reading |
Should I check the Solution Library first?
Yes. Every plan includes the Solution Library of fully built solutions, installed with one click. Installing a close match and changing it saves time over an empty start.
On the Home Page, select + New Solution.
Select Start with a Template. The library opens.
See Solution Templates.
How do I start from scratch?
On the Home Page, select + New Solution.
Select Build from Scratch. An empty solution opens.
Add the first table, then its fields and views.
The New Solution window, with the pointer on Build from Scratch.
If you do not see + New Solution, your role does not allow it. Only Solution Creators and Administrators create solutions.
What should I plan before I build?
A workspace holds solutions. A solution holds tables, a table holds records, and each record has fields.
One table per type of item. Engagements, workpapers and findings each get a table.
Links between tables. A Linked Record field ties each finding to its engagement.
Fields last. Add fields once the tables are clear.
Tip: Build your first workflow walks through a first table, its fields and a view, step by step.
When is a custom solution the right choice?
Your industry has a process that no template covers.
You are creating a new product or service, and older systems cannot adapt.
You are moving several processes onto one platform.
Your data is spread across tools, and you want it in one connected place.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the button to create a solution not there for me?
Why is the button to create a solution not there for me?
Your role does not allow it. Solution Creators and Administrators create solutions. Ask an Administrator to change your role or to create the solution.
Should I create one solution per project, or one with a table of projects?
Should I create one solution per project, or one with a table of projects?
One solution with a table of projects, and linked tables for their details. One solution per project means rebuilding fields and views each time, and reporting across projects gets hard.
Can I build a solution from my spreadsheets?
Can I build a solution from my spreadsheets?
Yes. Build from scratch, then import each sheet into a table. See CSV/Excel Data Import.
Who manages a solution I build?
Who manages a solution I build?
You do. The creator becomes the first Solution Manager and controls its structure and access.
Need more help? Ask the SmartSuite Community, where builders, administrators and the SmartSuite team answer questions about building on SmartSuite. For your account, billing or data, select the chat button in the lower-right corner of SmartSuite to reach support.
Last verified 1 Nov 2026.