Features Solutions Pricing FAQs Contact
Sign In

Grids

Smartsheet Column Details Viewer

Smartsheet scatters column metadata across multiple places — the column header right-click menu, the column properties dialog, and the API. There is no single view showing all column details at once. Users who need to audit column types, check formula assignments, or retrieve column IDs must open each column's properties individually and navigate away from the grid to find what they need.

Without Grid Tools

The daily workaround

Right-click each column header
Getting the type, formula, or ID of a column requires right-clicking its header and navigating into the Edit Column Properties dialog, one column at a time.
Hit the API for column IDs
Column IDs are not exposed anywhere in the Smartsheet UI, so developers and integrators resort to making an API call just to retrieve them for use in formulas or automation.
Open dialogs to audit formulas
Confirming which columns have formulas assigned requires opening each column's properties dialog and checking the formula field individually across the whole sheet.
Document column info externally
Power users maintain separate spreadsheets or notes to track column names, IDs, and types because there is no summary view inside Smartsheet.
Screenshot: Right-clicking a column header to open properties
Opening Edit Column Properties for a single column
Screenshot: Column properties dialog showing limited metadata
Column properties dialog — no column ID, one column at a time
Screenshot: API response JSON used to find column IDs
Fetching column IDs from the Smartsheet API because they are not shown in the UI

With Grid Tools

How Grid Tools handles it

All column details in one panel
Grid Tools opens a dedicated Column Details panel showing every column's name, ID, type, formula, width, and other metadata in a single scrollable view.
Column IDs visible instantly
Column IDs appear directly in the panel alongside column names, making them immediately available for VLOOKUP formulas, cross-sheet references, and API work.
Formula assignments at a glance
The panel shows which columns have formulas assigned and what those formulas are, so auditing the full sheet takes seconds instead of per-column dialog opens.
Copy any value with one click
Click any detail — name, ID, formula — to copy it to the clipboard for use in another column, an integration, or external documentation.
Screenshot: Column Details panel open alongside a sheet
Column Details panel showing all columns and their metadata
Screenshot: Column ID copied from the details panel
Copying a column ID directly from the details panel
Screenshot: Formula assignments visible across all columns
Viewing formula assignments across all sheet columns at once

Frequently asked questions

Does Smartsheet show column IDs in the interface?

No. Column IDs are only accessible through the Smartsheet API. Grid Tools surfaces them directly in the Column Details panel without any API call required.

Can I see all column types and formulas at once in Smartsheet?

Not natively. You would need to open each column's properties dialog individually. Grid Tools aggregates all column details into one panel so you can scan the entire sheet's column configuration at a glance.

Who benefits most from the Column Details Viewer?

Power users building complex formulas, admins auditing sheet structure, and developers building Smartsheet integrations. Anyone who regularly needs to know column IDs, types, or formula assignments will find it saves significant time.

Does the Column Details panel update as I add or rename columns?

Yes. The panel reflects the current column state of the sheet and updates when columns are added, renamed, or removed.

Related solutions

Ready to try it?

Download for free. Upgrade when ready.

Download free See all features