Creating a SmartTable

Three ways to define a SmartTable's fields — pick the one that matches where your structure already lives.

ℹ️ All three produce the same thing Whichever route you take, you end up with the same SmartTable: same field ids, same settings, same entry form. The choice is only about where the field definitions come from. You can also switch later — a table created from a spreadsheet can be edited in the in-app builder afterwards, and vice versa.

1. SharePoint sync

The original route, and the one every other page here assumes. You keep an Excel workbook on SharePoint with an entry sheet (one row per field) and optionally a display sheet (the print/PDF layout), paste its URL, and sync. Re-syncing an edited workbook creates a new version; existing entries keep the version they were created with.

  • Use it when the structure is already maintained in a spreadsheet, several people edit it, or you need a print/PDF layout.
  • It is the only route that can define a display sheet, so it is the only one that gives you a print layout at creation time.
  • Always available — no feature flag.
  • See SharePoint Sheet Setup for the whole workbook format.

2. Google Sheets sync

The same idea against a Google Sheet instead of a SharePoint workbook: same entry-sheet layout, same worksheet-naming convention, same versioning on re-sync. Share the sheet with the platform's service account (Editor access) and paste its URL.

  • Use it when your team works in Google Sheets rather than Excel/SharePoint.
  • Known differences from SharePoint, all in the display sheet: images are not imported at all, row heights and column widths are approximate, a cell filled pure white is treated as unfilled, and rich text (several styles inside one cell) is flattened to one style.
  • Must be switched on for your installation, and needs a service account configured. If the option is not offered, that is why.

3. Build Schema — no spreadsheet at all

Define the fields directly in the app, in a spreadsheet-like grid: one row per field. Nothing external to maintain, no sync step. Field ids are assigned for you from row order, which removes a whole class of mistake the spreadsheet routes are exposed to.

  • Use it when you are creating something new, or want a table in a couple of minutes.
  • No display sheet, so no print/PDF layout until a workbook is synced to it later. No formulas either — those are literal Excel formulas and need a spreadsheet.
  • It is also the editor for an existing SmartTable's fields, whatever created it.
  • Build Schema — full reference for every grid column and the per-field options.
💡 Editing an existing SmartTable's fields The same grid doubles as an editor: Edit Schema on a SmartTable loads its current fields for editing, whatever route originally created it. Saving creates a new version, exactly like re-syncing a workbook, so existing entries are never rewritten. Settings you configured elsewhere (linking, autofill, approval) are preserved — the editor only touches the field list.

Which should I use?

If you…Use
need a printed or PDF layout SharePoint
the only route that defines a display sheet
already maintain the structure in Excel SharePoint
already maintain it in Google Sheets Google Sheets
no images on the display sheet — see above
are starting from nothing and want it now Build Schema
immediate, and ids cannot go wrong
want to change an existing table's fields Edit Schema
or re-sync the workbook it came from
💡 Not sure? Start with Build Schema. It is the quickest way to a working table, and nothing is lost if you change your mind — syncing a workbook to the same SmartTable later adds the display sheet and the print layout that come with it.