Smartsheet - Frequently Asked Questions

As of July 2026, we have switched to the new Smartsheet licensing model.

Free users are no longer be able to edit directly on a sheet. That functionality now requires a license.

For paid users, nothing is changing. The only change we recommend for paid users is to start sharing sheets with commenter or lower permission levels by default.

There are four recommended ways to restructure your sheet to avoid having users directly edit on a sheet. All are included in our paid license.

• Submit through Forms
• Set up Update & Approval Requests
• Edit data in Dynamic View
• Utilize Collections

DoIT is not an expert on setting these up but Pro Desk sessions with Smartsheet are included with our paid licenses. We recommend using those to consult with a Smartsheet expert on how best to restructure your sheet.

There are now four different types of seats.

• Members - these are equivalent to the paid users under the old model.
• Provisional Members - these are free users that are effectively on a trial of a paid membership. This status will last a minimum of 30 days. Users will revert back to a free user unless you contact DoIT and request they be converted to a member.
• Contributors - Free users who can view shared work. With Commenter permissions, Contributors can also comment and add or delete attachments. They can't directly edit on any sheets.
• Guests - Free external users (non UW-Madison) who can view or edit shared items 

Smartsheet is a software as a service (SaaS) offering for collaboration and work management, developed and marketed by Smartsheet Inc.

Smartsheet is used to assign tasks, track project progress, manage calendars, share documents, digital asset management, automate processes, create and publish reports and dashboards, and manage other work, using a tabular user interface.

You should always log into Smartsheet through this link: https://smartsheet.it.wisc.edu/ 

If you get a NetID login prompt, you are in the correct spot.

You can request a new paid Smartsheet license through our new form: Smartsheet New License Request

You can transfer a license to someone else at any time during the term. You can do this by filling out the Smartsheet License Transfer Form.

You can remove a license using the Smartsheet License Transfer Form.

To remove without a transfer, just put "none" in the transfer to field.

No. You can view and/or comment on content that has been shared with you. A license is needed to create your own sheets, reports, or dashboards. It is also needed to edit on a sheet.

A Smartsheet license until good until 7/14/27 costs $567.82 for the prorated nine month term. This license includes many premium apps from Smartsheet such as Dynamic View, Data Shuttle, Data Mesh, Calendar, and Pivot. We do not have FY27 pricing at this time.

Yes, they are trued up quarterly and will be pro-rated depending on when they start. Currently we are charging for 3/4 of a year as of 10/14/26.

Not everyone needs to be a licensed user.

A member is a paid user who can create new items in Smartsheet including sheets, reports, and dashboards, and share them with others. They can also edit directly on sheets.

A contributor is someone who does not have a paid Smartsheet license. Connected users have the ability to view and/or comment on the items they have been shared to, but they do not have the ability to create their own items or edit directly on a sheet without a license.

JIRA Connector provides visibility into IT and software development projects being tracked in Jira and is licensed per department.

Please contact the Help Desk for current pricing: Get Help from DoIT.

Please visit Smartsheet's Help and Learning Center.

 https://status.smartsheet.com/

Get Help from DoIT!