How to share a Smartsheet with external stakeholders using guest access

Title: Sharing Smartsheet with External Stakeholders: The Power of Guest Access

If you’ve ever wrestled with how to bring a vendor, client, or consultant into a project without handing over the keys to your whole work environment, you’re not alone. The smoothest, most reliable way to collaborate with outsiders in Smartsheet is to use guest access. In plain terms: adjust the sharing settings to include guests, and you can invite external stakeholders to view or edit a sheet under your control. It’s real-time collaboration without the chaos of mailing attachments back and forth.

Let me explain why guest access matters. When you’re coordinating across organizations, you need a single source of truth that everyone can see and interact with. Guests come in with the same updates, comments, and alerts as internal teammates, but you decide what they can do. That means faster feedback, fewer version conflicts, and a clearer trail of who did what and when. It’s a practical balance: you stay in the driver’s seat, while external partners stay informed and productive.

A quick reality check: other sharing methods feel comforting in the moment but aren’t designed for ongoing collaboration. Printing a sheet? It’s static, and any changes after printing aren’t reflected for your guests. Exporting to PDF? Also static, great for archives but not for live work. Locking everything down to only internal users? That’s a straight path to miscommunication and missed updates. So, guest access isn’t just convenient—it’s the most effective way to involve outsiders without sacrificing control.

How to set up guest access: a simple, practical path

• Open the sheet you want to share. Locate the sharing controls—usually labeled Share or Invite. You’ll see different ways to bring people in.

• Add the external person by email. You’ll typically specify that the new contact is a guest of the sheet or workspace. This designation signals that the user is outside your core organization.

• Choose the level of permission. Smartsheet offers several options, such as Viewer, Commenter, or Editor. Choose based on what you need them to do. Viewers can see data; Editors can make changes; Commenters can add notes without altering the data directly. It’s a fine line, but it’s there for a reason.

• Include a personal message. A short note helps set context for the guest and clarifies what you’re hoping they’ll focus on.

• Decide on notifications. If you want them to be alerted about updates, keep the notification option on. If you’d rather they check in on their own, you can leave that off.

• Send the invitation. The guest will receive an email link and will be guided through the setup to access the sheet with the permissions you’ve assigned.

Important nuances to keep in mind

• Not every external contact needs full access. For many clients, a “Viewer” or “Commenter” role is enough. If they need to contribute, an “Editor” role can be granted—but only for the specific sheet or area you want them to touch.

• Guests aren’t required to have a full Smartsheet license. They can participate without upgrading your internal licenses, which keeps costs in check and onboarding smooth.

• You can fine-tune access to specific sheets or sections within a project. If you’re running a larger program in a single workspace, you can limit what each guest can see, so sensitive data stays protected.

A look at the other paths a lot of teams consider—and why they’re not as effective

• Printing and mailing a sheet: It gives you a snapshot, not a living, breathing collaboration space. Guests can’t annotate or refresh data, and you’ll be chasing updates in separate emails or documents.

• Exporting to PDF: Great for a snapshot, not for ongoing interaction. External stakeholders can view what’s there, but they can’t comment or adjust in real time.

• Locking the sheet to internal users only: That preserves internal control, sure, but it defeats the purpose of external collaboration. If a partner needs to contribute, you’ll need to rework access later—adding friction and delay.

Security and governance: staying in control while staying connected

• Revoking access is straightforward. If a project ends or a collaborator’s role changes, you can remove their guest access at any time. No messy processes required.

• Audit and visibility matter. Regular checks on who has access and at what level help you avoid drift. If someone’s job changes, their permissions should adjust accordingly.

• Use role-based planning. For external partners, giving them a clear boundary—what they can view, what they can edit, and where they can comment—reduces surprises and keeps everyone aligned.

A real-world flavor: how teams use guest access day-to-day

Imagine you’re coordinating a product launch with a design agency. The agency needs to see the schedule, milestones, and a few key metrics. You invite a guest editor who can update status and respond to comments from the team. A client in another city wants a quick read on progress and a couple of decision checkpoints. You assign them viewer permissions for the current dashboards, with the option to add a commentary thread if they want to suggest changes. In both cases, you’re not juggling duplicate documents or endless email threads; you’re riding the same live sheet together.

Small but mighty tips to keep things running smoothly

• Keep the guest list tidy. Periodically review who has access and why. If someone’s role shifts, adjust permissions or remove access as needed.

• Use comments for decisions, not just notes. A direct comment thread on a task helps everyone stay aligned and minimizes back-and-forth emails.

• Leverage dashboard views. If you don’t want guests to sift through multiple sheets, tailor dashboards that present the most relevant data in one place.

• Consider segmenting data. If a guest only needs to see a subset of the data, create a filtered view or a dedicated sheet that exposes just what’s necessary.

• Communicate expectations up front. A short onboarding note within the invitation—what they should review, who to contact for questions—can save a lot of time.

A friendly note on practical mindset

The moment you switch on guest access, you’re embracing a practical, no-nonsense approach to collaboration. It’s not about handing everything over; it’s about sharing just enough to move the work forward. You’re keeping control where it matters—on your terms—while enabling external voices to contribute where it adds value. And yes, that balance is exactly what most teams crave when the clock is ticking and stakeholders are waiting for input.

Putting it all together: the simplest, most effective sharing choice

In most scenarios, adjusting sharing settings to include guest access is the quickest, cleanest way to bring external stakeholders into Smartsheet. It preserves real-time collaboration, respects security boundaries, and avoids the static nature of printed or exported formats. When you need someone outside your organization to participate—whether they’re a client, supplier, or consultant—guest access is the practical route that keeps everyone synchronized.

If you’re shaping a workflow that often involves partners and vendors, you’ll likely find yourself relying on guest access more often than you expect. It’s not just a feature; it’s a mindset shift toward open, controlled collaboration that still respects the boundaries of your team. And when you pair it with thoughtful permissions and a clear governance routine, you unlock smoother projects, faster feedback, and fewer surprises at the finish line.

So next time you’re about to share a Smartsheet with someone external, ask yourself: does this person need to view, comment, or edit? If the answer is yes, invite them as a guest and set the level of access accordingly. You’ll likely notice the difference in momentum, clarity, and the simple relief of knowing everyone’s on the same page—without opening the entire door to your internal systems.