This glossary of terms to help you understand SmartSuite functionality and features as you build workflows.
An "Action" represents the desired task or operation that is executed automatically when a Trigger condition is met. | |
Activity History tracks and logs when items are created and last updated as well as any change to content. Activity History tracks when the record was created and last updated as well as changes made to any record content. | |
Owner and main manager of a SmartSuite workspace with the highest level of authority and permission. | |
The Members or Teams can view and edit content they have been assigned, but cannot create, view, or edit any other content. | |
The Members or Teams can view and edit content they have been assigned and create new content that is auto-assigned to them, but cannot view or edit any other content. | |
API stands for Application Programming Interface. It is a set of rules and protocols that allows different software applications to communicate and interact with each other. | |
API Key authentication lets SmartSuite verify the user workspace associated with a particular API call. Tokens are user-specific and confer the generating user's rights and permissions to the external application making the API call. | |
If your Title fields are a concatenation of multiple fields within a record, use our auto generated titles to automatically fill this for all current and future records. | |
The SmartSuite Automations feature allows you to streamline your workflows by automating repetitive tasks. By leveraging a simple Trigger / Action based rule set, you can define specific conditions (Triggers) that, when met, will initiate a sequence of actions (Actions). | |
A calendar view in SmartSuite is a specific type of view that allows users to visualize and manage dates and events in a calendar format. It is used to display and organize information related to dates, such as appointments, deadlines, and schedules. | |
Card View is a feature in SmartSuite that allows users to organize information on cards. It provides a way to display data in a visually appealing format. | |
Cells | The intersection of a Record and a Field, each cell represents a specific data point for a specific instance. The term Cell is borrowed most recently from Excel, so we typically only use this term when looking at a Grid View Type (the view that resembles a spreadsheet). |
The Members or Teams can view all content but cannot create or edit any content. | |
Comments in SmartSuite are a feature that allows users to add information, communicate with others, and leave notes about a specific record. The commenting section is available on every record within SmartSuite and can be accessed easily. | |
Contributors can view and create records, but can only edit existing records when they are included in an Assigned To field in the record. This permission is perfect for many workflows, assigning edit rights to specific individuals or Teams involved in a particular process. | |
A rule used to filter records; records must meet a condition to be visible or to perform an automation. | |
A collection of widgets or blocks that allow users to pull data from various Tables and Solutions. These dashboards provide a visual representation of data and offer different view types for exploration and analysis. | |
Enables users to generate custom PDF templates that can be filled with information sourced from their Tables. Combine visual elements like lines, boxes, and static text with fields from your SmartSuite records that place those data elements on the page. | |
Users with the Editor permission can create, update and delete their own records but are restricted to read-only access to all other records in the Solution. | |
Enterprise plan provides all the features of Professional Edition with the addition of capabilities, such as Single Sign-On, for departments and organizations that need advanced features, scalability, security, and support. | |
A Field is a vertical column in a Table. It contains the details or data (attributes) for each Record in the Table. | |
This is the type of data that lives inside the Field. The Field Type will determine how the data is displayed in the Field and how you can interact with it. Most Field Types are intuitive, but there are some more complicated Field Types as well. | |
Fields to Display is found in the Reporting Toolbar and allows you to pick which fields are shown and in what order in the current View. Reordering and Removing Fields from Display will not delete Fields or impact other Saved Views. | |
A filter in the context of SmartSuite refers to a feature that allows users to narrow down and display specific data based on certain criteria. It is used to refine and customize the view of information within the SmartSuite platform.
The Filter appears in the Toolbar and is specific for each View. Here you can choose not to see certain Records by applying a Filter that will remove them from the View. You can apply multiple Filters at the same time, using AND/OR options. | |
A form in SmartSuite is a view type that allows users to collect information from customers or clients. It is a powerful feature that can be set up as an externally facing form, which can be embedded on a website or shared via a link | |
A formula in SmartSuite is a calculation that can be used to determine a value in a field. Formulas in SmartSuite are similar to formulas in Excel spreadsheets but with more functionality and flexibility. They can be simple or complex, depending on the user's needs. | |
The General access role is assigned to most Members, providing them access to Solutions, Apps, and their data as assigned to them or one of their Teams. | |
A Grid view in SmartSuite is a way to display and organize data in a tabular format, similar to a spreadsheet. It allows users to view and manipulate records or tasks in a structured manner. | |
Groups allow you to bucket your Records in Groups. Similar to Filters, the Group settings that you choose only apply to the specific View that you assign them to. | |
The Guest user role is a free user type who has limited access to the system's features and functions. They are able to only view and comment on records they've been assigned through our Assigned To field and can modify status fields checklist items assigned to them. | |
The highest-level view of your SmartSuite account. From here, you’ll see a navigation panel at the top, resources on the left, and your Solutions in the center of your screen. Favorited Solutions will appear above the rest of the Solutions. | |
Integration refers to the process of connecting different systems or applications together to enable them to work together seamlessly and share information. In the context of SmartSuite, integration refers to the ability of SmartSuite to connect with other applications or systems. | |
An invite can be sent directly via email to add new users to your workspace. | |
Kanban is a view type in SmartSuite that allows users to visually manage and track tasks or projects on a board. | |
The maximum number or amount of something (users, records per Solution, attachment storage, automations) allowed on a given plan. | |
Linked Record fields connect Tables within and across other Solutions, allowing processes to flow seamlessly while maintaining single sources of information. Any time you link two records together, you’ll see that the association is mirrored in the other record. | |
Locked Views are a feature available that allows the View Creator, Solution Manager, or Admin to prevent others from making changes to them and from altering the view's configuration and custom elements. | |
A map view in SmartSuite is a type of view that allows users to visualize and interact with location-based data on a map. It provides a visual representation of the data points on a map, allowing users to see the geographical distribution of the data and gain insights from it. | |
The Member Directory allows users to view and access information about other members within their organization. A built-in employee handbook with contact cards for every user to customize their account information. | |
My Work is your personal command center, a top-level view of all your tasks across the system with important information like due dates and priorities displayed in a concise format. | |
Permissions in SmartSuite refer to the ability to set access levels and restrictions for users at different levels within the platform. The permissions can be set at the solution level, table level, and field level. | |
The first column or field in a Table is called the primary field. It describes each item in the Table and can't be removed, moved, or hidden. This system field is used to give a quick idea or description of an item in other parts of the UI. | |
A private view refers to a view that is only visible to the user who created it. It is not accessible or visible to other users. Private views are useful when a user wants to focus on their own tasks and assignments without being overwhelmed by everyone else's work. | |
One of the 3 paid SmartSuite plans. Professional plan focuses on the needs of medium to large businesses that have a desire to implement several workflows and further automate their business processes. | |
A Record is an individual item in a Table. Records are the basic unit of data that are pulled into various Views and Dashboards. Each Record can include data in multiple Fields. | |
Record views in SmartSuite provide users with a comprehensive and organized way to display information when viewing specific records. This guide outlines how to create, customize, and manage record views, including the use of record sections and different layout options. | |
A recycle bin in SmartSuite is a feature that allows users to recover deleted records or fields. When a record or field is deleted, it is not permanently removed from the system but instead moved to the recycle bin. | |
Directly above your first Record, you’ll find your Reporting Toolbar. The Reporting Toolbar changes depending on the View that you are currently using. Each has settings that are specific to the current View. | |
Available on Enterprise, Single sign-on (SSO) enables users to access numerous websites or applications using a single set of login credentials. This functionality operates by establishing a connection with an identity provider (IdP). | |
A Solution is a collection of data in SmartSuite, designed to contain all the information related to a business process or workflow. Solutions appear on your Homepage in the form of square icons with a title and an emoji/icon. Solutions are a part of a Workspace, and you can share/copy Solutions from one Workspace to another. | |
Assigning the Solution Creator role tells SmartSuite that the user is allowed to create new Solutions, either from Solution Templates or from scratch. Just like General users, Solution Creators can be added as Solution Managers for Solutions created by other users, but they do not have these permissions by default (like Administrators do). | |
A solution guide helps all users of the solution understand the purpose and workflow, providing a detailed description, outline, or demonstration of how to use it. | |
The original Solution Manager that creates a Solution becomes its first Solution Manager. Solution Manager have full access to the solution and its permissions settings, including the ability to add additional Solution Managers. | |
You can always choose to create brand-new Solutions from scratch, but we offer a full Solution Library of pre-built industry-class templates that make it easy to jump start your processes and see your use case with real demo data. | |
Sort allows you to dynamically rearrange records based on the values in a certain Field. Sort order options are based on the Field Type selected. | |
Spotlight is a fun feature that combines elements of Find and Filter in the Reporting Toolbar with a visual "highlight" that persists as long as the Spotlight is active. Spotlight is available in Grid, Card, Kanban, Calendar, Timeline, and Map Views. | |
Tables in SmartSuite hold information about one type of item; for example, projects, tasks, campaigns, and products. Each Solution needs at least one Table. Tables appear as their own tab in a Solution. | |
Team plan is one of the 3 paid plans in SmartSuite. This plan is perfect for teams that need a better way to manage key processes and projects. | |
Teams are a great way to organize your SmartSuite workspace Members into groups, allowing Solution Managers to easily grant permissions to the right people and making it possible for users to reference groups of people. | |
A "Trigger" refers to a specific condition or event that serves as a starting point for an automated action sequence. | |
A timeline view in SmartSuite is a type of view that displays tasks or events based on a date field. It is used to visualize and manage the dates surrounding projects, campaigns, or other types of content. | |
A View is a way to look at the data in a specific Table. Each Table can have multiple Views, and the settings for each View do not impact the underlying dataset. Views are a window or perspective that allows users to see and interact with data in different formats including Grid, Card, Kanban, and more. | |
An advanced permission level in SmartSuite. The selected Members or Teams have read-only access to the records and cannot make any changes, create new records, or delete existing ones. | |
A view type in SmartSuite refers to the different ways in which data can be displayed and organized within a Table. It allows users to customize how they want to view and interact with their information. There are several types of view types available in SmartSuite | |
A widget refers to a component or block that can be added to a dashboard to display specific information or functionality. They can display data from various Tables and Solutions or pull in data from different sources. | |
Think of each Workspace as its own SmartSuite account. You can have multiple Workspaces, each on a different payment plan. Most often, a company or team would share access to one Workspace, which gives access to Solutions in that Workspace (depending on permissions levels). |