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SmartSuite Field Management

Learn how easy it is to manage your SmartSuite fields

Emma Montgomery avatar
Written by Emma Montgomery
Updated over 5 months ago

Permissions

  • Admins/Solution Managers

SmartSuite Terminology

  • Field: Fields are the basic building blocks of SmartSuite solutions. Fields hold details for each record in a Table. SmartSuite offers over 44 different field types to store all forms of data.

  • Field type: A field type is the format of data that is stored.

Fields are the basic building blocks of SmartSuite solutions. Get familiar with the Structure of SmartSuite and understand the Available Field Types.

Permissions allow members to manage fields:

  • Solution Managers can add new fields and modify existing fields in their solutions.

  • Workspace Administrators can add and modify fields in any solution within the workspace.

  • General Users cannot add or modify fields.


Adding Fields

There are two ways to create new fields - in Grid View and in an open Record view.

From the Grid View

Open the Column Menu by clicking on a column header's dropdown icon and then selecting "Add Field to the Right", or by clicking the + menu icon after the last column header.

Select the type you would like to add, and a window will open to configure the field.

You can quickly search field types and even use synonym-based searches. For example, typing in "@" returns the Email field, "1" or "$" returns a Number and Currency field, respectively.

From an open Record


The fastest way to add a field from an open Record View to is simply click the + sign next to a current field to add a new field below.

Save clicks and design your record view quicker. You are now also able to add new fields in record view through the "Add new field to this Table" button at the bottom of the record.

See a field being added in Edit Record View below:

You can also add fields in open Record View by clicking the "..." menu icon that appears in the right-hand corner of any existing field when hovering over it, and selecting "Add New Field."

Select the type you would like to add, and a window will open to configure the field. The new field is added directly below the existing field.

Modifying Existing Fields

Similar to adding new fields, Solution Managers and Admins can modify existing fields in Grid View or from an open Record.
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Check out the Available Fields article to see a list of all fields where you can go to their corresponding article to see the exact field settings available per field type.

From the Grid View

After clicking the dropdown menu in the column header, select "Modify Field Settings."

From an open Record

The "..." icon will appear when hovering over an existing field. Select "Modify Field Settings" from the dropdown.
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Duplicating Fields

In some circumstances, you'll find yourself having to create several fields that are very similar, like adding priority and criticality fields to a project management Table.

Repetitive tasks are never fun, but SmartSuite makes it easy to duplicate fields so that you don't have to set every property by hand.

Required Permissions

You must have the proper permissions to duplicate a field - one of the following is required:

  • You have the Administrator role

  • You have either the Solution Creator or General Access role AND you are a Solution Manager for the Table's Solution

How to Duplicate a Field

You can duplicate a Field by clicking on the Field properties menu selector in Grid View, or by clicking a Field's context menu in record display mode. Follow these steps:

  1. Open the field properties for the field you want to duplicate, either from the field dropdown menu in Grid view or the ... menu in Record View

  2. Select the Duplicate Field option

  3. Give the new field a unique name

  4. Check "Include Field Content" if you want to duplicate the field's data as well, or uncheck it to just duplicate the field structure (NOTE πŸ“ : Due to the nature of their data, Signature and Vote fields cannot have their content duplicated)

  5. Click Duplicate Field

The new field will appear to the right of the field you duplicated if you are in Grid view, or directly under the duplicated field in Record Display view.

Fields that Cannot be Duplicated

System-type fields cannot be duplicated. These include:

  • Record Id

  • Auto-Number

  • First Created

  • Last Created

Fields that Cannot be Copied Without Content

A handful of fields have the Include Field Content option "forced" on, reflecting the fact that they generate content automatically and can't be copied without that content appearing. These fields include:

  • Count

  • Rollup

  • Lookup

  • Formula

Deleting Fields

Required Permissions

Members with the Administrator role can delete any field from any Solution's Tables. Members who have the Solution Manager role can delete fields from Solutions they are assigned to. Learn more about roles here.

Deleting a Field

To delete a field, follow these steps:

  1. Open the field properties dialog from either the record view or from the field options menu in Grid View.

  2. Select Delete Field from the menu.

  3. Click Yes, delete this field.

That's it, your field is immediately removed. The field will no longer be available for viewing or selection in any filters, sorts, or similar controls.



FAQ

I deleted the wrong field - What do I do?

SmartSuite's Recycle Bin comes to your rescue! You can get that field (and all of its data, too) back in just a couple of clicks.

Here's the simple procedure for restoring your field:

  1. Open your user profile menu in the upper-right corner of the SmartSuite interface.

  2. Click Recycle Bin.

  3. Find the entry for the field you want to restore.

  4. Click the Restore button for that entry.

How long will my field stay in the Recycle Bin?

The retention period depends on your SmartSuite workspace's Subscription Plan, as follows:

  1. Free Plan - 14 days

  2. Team Plan - 30 days

  3. Professional Plan - 45 days

  4. Enterprise Plan - 60 days

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