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Bulk Column Manager

Create, update, or delete the same column across multiple sheets at once.

Bulk Column Manager lets you create, update, or delete the same column across multiple Smartsheet sheets in one action. Use it when you need to apply a consistent column change across a solution without opening each sheet individually.

Overview

In Smartsheet, column changes have to be made one sheet at a time. For solution administrators managing large numbers of sheets with similar structures, this becomes repetitive and error-prone. Bulk Column Manager applies the same column operation across all selected sheets simultaneously.

Prerequisites

  • A Solution Manager account. Start a free plan here.
  • Sheets must be owned by users within your plan.
  • Editor-level access or higher on the sheets you want to update.

Creating a column across multiple sheets

  1. Navigate to Bulk Column Manager in the left sidebar.
  2. Select the sheets you want to update.
  3. Click Create Column.
  4. Enter the column name and select the column type.
  5. Configure any additional settings such as dropdown values or validation rules.
  6. Click Apply.

Updating an existing column

  1. Select your target sheets and click Update Column.
  2. Enter the exact name of the column you want to update. The name must match exactly across all selected sheets.
  3. Make your changes and click Apply.

Deleting a column across multiple sheets

  1. Select your target sheets and click Delete Column.
  2. Enter the exact name of the column to delete.
  3. Review the confirmation dialog — this action cannot be undone.
  4. Click Confirm Delete.

Troubleshooting

The column did not update on some sheets. The column name likely did not match exactly on those sheets. Check for trailing spaces, capitalization differences, or special characters.

I receive a permissions error when applying changes. Solution Manager can only update sheets owned by users within your plan. Sheets owned outside your plan will be skipped.

The apply action runs but I see no confirmation. Refresh the page and check the sheet directly in Smartsheet. If the change is present, the action succeeded. Check Settings → Logs if the error persists.