View a Smartsheet report on a dashboard without granting access to the underlying sheets

Ever found yourself needing to show a snapshot of work to someone without handing over the keys to every sheet? It happens a lot in teams, where executives want the gist and teammates want the details. Smartsheet makes this feel almost effortless with a simple idea: put a report on a dashboard using the Report widget. Here’s the thing—this tiny shift in how you share data can save time, reduce risk, and keep everyone in the loop without overexposing raw data.

What’s the smart move here?

The answer is straightforward: add the report to a dashboard with the Report widget. When you place a report on a dashboard, you’re creating a window into the data that preserves the insights while shielding the underlying sheets. It’s like showing a curated set of charts on a wall rather than handing out the entire folder. The audience sees what they need, when they need it, without needing permission to view every source sheet.

Why not the other options? Let’s break down the alternatives so you can see why the dashboard approach wins for visibility without access:

• Share the report link: This sounds convenient, but access still hinges on who has permission to the report’s source sheets. If someone can’t see the sheets, the link won’t be all that useful to them. It can also complicate governance—tracking who saw what becomes messier when links are flying around.

• Export as a PDF: A PDF gives a static snapshot at a moment in time. It’s great for archiving or a quick offline read, but it lacks interactivity and live updates. If the project moves fast, a PDF quickly becomes outdated and won’t reflect latest changes.

• Create a summary of the report: Condensing information is valuable, but a summary doesn’t change the access rules around the data. You still need to manage who can see the full data behind the scenes, and a summary by itself won’t replace the underlying permissions decision.

Let me explain how this lands in real life. Imagine you’re on a product team with a mix of engineers, designers, and a handful of stakeholders from outside the core data environment. The people who need to track progress day-to-day should see all the nuts and bolts. The executives who just want the status, risks, and next steps don’t need to rummage through every line item in every sheet. By placing a review-ready report on a dashboard, you give each group what they need—no more, no less.

How to set it up, without pulling your hair out

Here’s a clean, practical flow you can try in your Smartsheet workspace:

• Start with the dashboard you already use for status updates or create a new one for leadership or cross-functional visibility.

• Add a Report widget to the dashboard. If you’re new to this, look for the option to insert a widget and choose Report.

• Select the report you want to surface. This could be a task progress report, a risk log, a milestone tracker—whatever captures the key data for your audience.

• Resize and arrange the widget so it’s easy to scan at a glance. A tidy, readable layout matters as much as the data itself.

• Set the viewing permissions of the dashboard. Here’s the important part: the viewers don’t need access to the source sheets if the dashboard and the report are set up to display what they’re allowed to see. You’re controlling the exposure through the dashboard’s permissions, not handing out the entire sheet library.

• Refresh or schedule updates as needed. If your data changes daily or hourly, you’ll want the dashboard to reflect that without manual rework.

A quick note on permissions: this approach hinges on how Smartsheet governs access. The dashboard can be shared with folks who don’t have permission to view every sheet the report pulls from. The key is that the report and its dashboard serve as curated windows into the data, not the full data vault. It’s a practical balance between transparency and governance—a way to keep stakeholders informed without broad data exposure.

Real-world benefits you’ll actually feel

• Clear, targeted communication: Dashboards with Report widgets tell the story without the noise. You can highlight blockers, upcoming milestones, or earned value in a clean, visual way.

• Faster decision cycles: With the right dashboard in place, leadership sees status updates in real time, which shortens the loop from insight to action.

• Safer data sharing: You can maintain tight control over sensitive sources while still giving important viewers the visibility they need.

• Consistency across teams: A single dashboard that pulls in published reports reduces the risk of mismatched information. Everyone reads from the same page, so to speak.

A few practical tips to make this even better

• Choose reports with concise scope. If a report tries to cover too much, the dashboard display can feel crowded. Focus on the core metrics that matter to the audience.

• Use visual cues. Color-coded statuses, progress bars, and trend lines help the eye pick up important shifts quickly.

• Keep the dashboard lean. If you’re showing multiple reports, group related widgets and leave breathing room. A cluttered dashboard loses its impact.

• Schedule refreshes thoughtfully. Real-time data is ideal, but not always necessary. For many teams, a daily refresh hits the sweet spot between accuracy and performance.

• Test with a pilot audience. Before you push a dashboard widely, have a small group verify that the view aligns with what they need and that permissions feel right.

Common sense guardrails to avoid pitfalls

• Don’t overexpose sensitive data. Even with a dashboard, treat the viewer list like a policy: share only what’s appropriate for each role.

• Don’t rely on a single dashboard for everything. It’s fine to have multiple dashboards targeting different audiences. Each one can feature the exact reports that matter to its users.

• Don’t forget to update the data lineage. If a data source changes, ensure the report continues to pull the right fields. Broken links in dashboards are more than a visual problem; they’re a trust problem.

Making it part of your workflow

If you’re in a fast-moving environment, consider how dashboards with Report widgets fit into your routine. A weekly update dashboard for executives can be paired with a more detailed, internal dashboard for the team. The same report might appear in both, but the audience, layout, and permissions are tuned for each context. This dual approach keeps everyone informed while preserving the integrity of your data sources.

A quick recap

• Correct choice: Add the report to a dashboard using the Report widget. This setup lets users view the report without needing access to the underlying sheets.

• Why it beats alternatives: Links depend on source permissions; PDFs are static; summaries don’t change access rights.

• How it helps: Clear communication, faster decisions, safer data sharing, consistent information across teams.

• How to implement: Add a Report widget to a dashboard, select the report, adjust layout, and manage permissions at the dashboard level.

If you’re exploring Smartsheet dashboards for the first time, you’ll notice a recurring theme: dashboards are about context. They give you a frame to see data in motion, not just raw figures. The Report widget is a powerful tool in that frame, because it lets you share meaningful views without revealing every source line item.

A closing thought

Data sharing is as much about trust as it is about accuracy. By placing targeted reports on dashboards, you’re building a bridge between what needs to be known and who needs to know it. It’s a practical, user-friendly approach that respects both transparency and security. And in a world where teams collaborate across time zones and functions, that balance isn’t just nice to have—it’s essential.

If you’re curious to see how this works in your own workspace, set up a quick test dashboard with a small report. Play with permissions, adjust the widget size, and watch how someone outside the core data world can still get the pulse of the project. You might be surprised at how often a simple dashboard can illuminate what matters most.