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Smartsheet Unhide and Rehide Columns

Smartsheet lets you hide columns, but managing them is awkward. The only way to unhide columns is through the column header right-click menu, which shows hidden columns as grayed-out items mixed in with visible ones — with no easy way to unhide a group and then re-hide them all at once after reviewing their data.

Without Grid Tools

The daily workaround

Right-click to unhide one at a time
Users right-click each grayed-out column header in the header row and select Unhide, repeating the action for every hidden column they need to see.
Forget which columns were hidden
After unhiding several columns to review data, users lose track of which ones were hidden before and accidentally leave them visible when saving.
Re-hide columns individually
After reviewing hidden column data, users right-click each column they want to hide again and select Hide Column, one column at a time.
Disrupt shared views
Unhiding columns to check data changes the sheet's column layout for anyone else viewing it at the same time.
Screenshot: Right-clicking a grayed-out column header to unhide
Right-clicking each hidden column header individually
Screenshot: Mixed list of hidden and visible columns in header row
Identifying hidden columns among visible ones in the header
Screenshot: Re-hiding columns one by one after reviewing data
Re-hiding each column individually after the review

With Grid Tools

How Grid Tools handles it

See all hidden columns in a list
Grid Tools shows every hidden column by name in a panel, so you always know exactly which columns are hidden.
Unhide and rehide groups at once
Select multiple hidden columns and toggle their visibility in one action rather than right-clicking each one.
Restore the original hidden state
After reviewing hidden column data, rehide all of them at once to return the sheet to its prior layout without tracking what was visible before.
Faster than the right-click menu
The Grid Tools panel is purpose-built for column visibility management — faster than navigating the header row context menu.
Screenshot: Grid Tools hidden column list panel
Panel showing all hidden columns by name
Screenshot: Multiple columns selected for bulk unhide
Selecting columns to unhide as a group
Screenshot: Columns rehidden in one action after review
All reviewed columns rehidden in a single step

Frequently asked questions

Does Smartsheet have a built-in way to manage hidden columns?

Smartsheet lets you hide and unhide columns via right-click on the header row, but there is no dedicated panel for viewing all hidden columns at once or toggling groups of them. Grid Tools adds that panel.

Can I unhide all hidden columns at once?

Yes. Grid Tools lets you select all hidden columns and unhide them in a single action rather than right-clicking each header individually.

Will rehiding columns affect reports or dashboards that use this sheet?

Column visibility on the sheet itself does not affect report column configuration or dashboard widgets. Reports manage their own column display settings independently.

Can I see which columns are hidden without going to the header row?

Yes. The Grid Tools hidden-column panel lists all hidden columns by name, so you can see what is hidden at a glance without inspecting the header row.

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