1️⃣Getting Started

Welcome to SmartBackup User Guides. SmartBackup is the solution for Smartsheet customers who want to use the Industry’s leading platform for securing their Smartsheet data. SmartBackup has been designed from the start for gradual adoption, and you can use as little or as much of SmartBackup as you need.

Watch the Intro Video

Watch the following introduction video to get a basic understanding of the solution, why it was created, and the types of issues that it can address. As a Smartsheet user, you most likely know that Smartsheet provides a simple, manual backup capability. However, the challenge comes when you want to recover from those backup copies and realize that features like automations, column settings, forms, cell formats, links etc. cannot be recovered because the copy you have is limited and outside the Smartsheet environment. With us, it's easy-peasy.

1. This short video provides a high-level overview of the issues that Smartsheet users can encounter.

2. Then it also explains how SmartBackup can be leveraged to address those data securing and backup needs.

3. Once you have this background information, it will make it easier to understand how to use SmartBackup to restore your data.

Why Backup?

Backups are essential for both survival and success. When mountain climbing, a backup can save your life; with data, a backup can save your business.

1. As Smartsheet adoption grows, more users mean more collaboration. However, no one is immune to making mistakes—they happen frequently. But there’s no need to worry if you take frequent incremental backups.

2. Regulatory bodies like the IRS, DORA, and other commissions aren't sympathetic to data disasters. A loss of compliance due to data mishaps can result in significant fines. Maintaining an offsite backup of your critical Smartsheet information is vital for safeguarding your organization.

3. Ultimately, you are accountable for your Smartsheet data. Whether facing a minor error or a major system failure, having a reliable backup ensures quick recovery and uninterrupted operations.

4. As a responsible business leader, implementing disaster recovery and business continuity solutions is non-negotiable. In some cases, you may also need to offload Smartsheet data or migrate it to a different region or platform.

Biggest Threats?

Let's take a look at some of the biggest threats to your Smartsheet data.

User Deletion	A collaborator may accidentally delete a shared attachment, or you may delete some rows and then later learn that the data is still required.
Data Overwrites	Smartsheet sheets typically contain large amounts of data that are constantly updated by multiple users. When large data sets are imported, accidental overwriting may become quite common.
Data Corruption	Due to various scenarios, your data can get corrupted and become inaccessible, and you would be stuck without a robust backup solution in place.
Data migration issues caused by incorrectly mapped fields	If incorrectly mapped fields are imported, the correct data may be overwritten in your sheets.
Third-party applications errors	Third-party applications can modify data in ways you didn’t intend. With Smartsheet's wider adoption and inter-operation in the Enterprise, this becomes a major threat.
Data Loss	Data can be lost due to reasons other than malicious intent. Under new data protection rules, data destruction and corruption of personal data are considered forms of data breaches and would require appropriate notifications.

Next Steps

Now that you have an overview of SmartBackup and how it can be used to secure your Smartsheet data, the next step is to review the guides for restoring deleted data, or reverting to an earlier version of your Smartsheet data, using SmartBackup. Click the End User Restore Guide button below to start.