Smartsheet Excel Column Descriptions: Keep Notes in Excel
See column descriptions in your exported Excel files
- •Include column descriptions directly in your Excel export so viewers understand each column without opening Smartsheet.
- •Choose to add a descriptions row in sheets or preserve column descriptions in report exports so your workbook keeps full context for printing, emailing, or further analysis.
- •Work confidently with fewer errors and more control.
I'm going to show you how to export a Smartsheet Report to Excel, including groups and summaries. First download SSFeatures. Open your Report. In this example, my report has one group and one summary. Click the SSFeatures button at the top. Click \"Export to Excel\". Click \"OK\". SSFeatures will create an Excel file for you with all of your reports data, including groups and summaries. This is incredibly useful. Now you can export your reports exactly the way that you see them in Smartsheet.
Use Cases
Sharing Reports with Clients - Export grouped and summarized reports to Excel while keeping totals, headers, and formatting intact for professional client presentations.
Team Reporting - Provide accurate Excel files to teammates that look exactly like the Smartsheet reports they rely on, without losing structure or data.
Advanced Data Processing - Use customization options like the 'Is Grouped Row?' column to enable filtering, pivoting, or automation in Excel after exporting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Smartsheet’s exporter removes grouped rows, summaries, and column descriptions. SSFeatures’ exporter keeps everything intact, so the Excel file looks just like your Smartsheet report.
Yes. You can set border colors, include column descriptions, and format grouped rows with bold, italics, and custom colors. These options give you more control over how your report looks in Excel.
Yes. All exporting happens directly in your browser, and no data is ever sent to external servers. The Excel workbook is generated locally and saved to your computer, keeping your information private.
SSFeatures has a 30-day free trial with full access to all features. No credit card or account required—just download and start using it.
Yes. SSFeatures runs entirely in your browser and never sends your Smartsheet data to any outside server. We're also a Smartsheet Tech Partner. Learn more.
After 30 days, you can subscribe to continue using SSFeatures. We'll notify you before the trial ends. Pricing starts at $10/user/month when billed yearly.
Thousands of Smartsheet users across many industries use SSFeatures every day.
"We wouldn't love Smartsheet nearly as much without SSFeature's PDF Generator!! Our business depends on printed Smartsheet reports. SSFeatures has allowed us to successfully continue scaling on Smartsheets without printing workarounds. Our team members that rely on our reports are way happier ever since we started using the PDF Generator. It's great to see there are 3rd parties willing to fill critical gaps in Smartsheet."
Ari Diamond
President of Railing Excellence
"SSFeatures has been a game-changer for our Smartsheet workflows! It’s super easy to use and adds powerful functionality that makes automation and reporting so much more efficient. The developer is incredibly responsive and provides top-notch customer support, making sure everything runs smoothly. It has saved us a ton of time and eliminated a lot of manual work. If you’re looking to get more out of Smartsheet, I highly recommend giving SSFeatures a try!"
Michelle Choate
Senior Manager of Operations at Impact Housing
"Finally found a solution to handle some of the features I have been waiting on for a long time... So grateful to SSFeatures for the Auto-Sort function that has dramatically improved our experience with DataShuttle > Update Dropdowns feature so they are always alphabetized. Column finding/hiding is awesome! Keep up the great work - saving me hours!!!"
Joe Morrell
Independent Consultant at Morrell Consulting
Available for Chrome, Safari, Edge, and Firefox
What is SSFeatures?
- •SSFeatures is a browser extension that makes Smartsheet way easier to use
- •It adds dozens of time-saving features directly into Smartsheet
- •It will save you hours of work every week
Are you tired of wasting hours in Smartsheet doing the same tedious steps?
SSFeatures makes Smartsheet faster, smarter, and easier to use.
It's a simple browser extension, packed with powerful tools that save you hours every week.
Trusted by thousands of Smartsheet users with hundreds of five star reviews across Chrome, Edge, Safari, and Firefox.
Save hours every week in Smartsheet! Try SSFeatures free today!
Hide / Unhide Columns
Unhide specific columns without using 'Unhide All'.
Automatically Sort Rows
Keep your rows sorted, without manually clicking the sort buttons everytime.
Sheet Stats
See stats about your sheet, so you know how close you are to the sheet limits.
PDF Exporter
Export grouped and summarized reports to PDF.
Import Into Existing Sheet
Import Excel or CSV into your sheet—no new sheet required.
Copy and Paste Automation Workflows
Copy automation workflows between sheets in seconds.
Hear what users say
"I love that someone added features that Smartsheet seems to be unable or unwilling to add."
Ryan Ballew
Program Manager at Verizon
"PHENOMINAL app! A no brainer purchase for any Smartsheet super-user. Auto-sorting a sheet, printing or exporting a grouped/summarized report, SEARCHING FOR COLUMNS BY NAME! All in one packaged app that's controlled within Smartsheet. Amazing. Highly, highly, highly recommend."
Kayla Sweeney
Smartsheet Solutions Consultant at Better Work Week
"All the SS Features are great but for us the PDF Generator was a huge game changer, a large percentage of our work depends on printed reports and the support of PDF generation for smartsheet reports while keeping the grouping & summaries was a must have."
Leiby Hershkowitz
CEO of Superb Developers Inc
Pricing
SSFeatures offers a 30-day free trial for all users with no sign-up or credit card required! After the trial, you can continue enjoying all features with our simple subscription plan.
You can manage your licenses and grant access to your company's domain in the SSFeatures dashboard.
How many users?
Premium Membership
$10/Month (USD)
Billed Yearly
Saves $24 per year
17% discount
Subscribe Now
Enterprise Membership
Do you need more than 50 licenses for your company?
Please contact us and our sales team will reach out to you for more information.
Security and Privacy
SSFeatures runs entirely in your browser and never sends your Smartsheet data to our servers. We're a Smartsheet Tech Partner. Learn more.
Related Resources
| Export Smartsheet to Excel | Export Smartsheet sheets and reports to Excel format, including grouped and summarized data. |
| Smartsheet Excel Export Advanced — Accurate Grouped Exports | Smartsheet Excel Export Advanced exports grouped rows, summaries, and column descriptions so Excel workbooks match your reports—download accurate exports now. |
| Smartsheet Excel Export Customize - Preserve Groups & Totals | Smartsheet Excel Export Customize adds an exporter that preserves grouped rows, summaries and column descriptions so Excel workbooks match reports. Try it now. |
| Total Smartsheet to Excel - Keep Sums & Formatting | Total Smartsheet to Excel exports totals, grouped rows, summaries, and column descriptions to Excel intact, with color and border options. Try it now. |
Log In
© 2024 - 2026 SSFeatures, LLC
Made in California
