Answers to your frequently asked Data Shuttle questions.
Data Shuttle use cases and FAQs
Prerequisites
To use Data Shuttle:
- You must be a user with Owner, Admin, or Editor permissions on the target sheet
- You must have Data Shuttle Premium Application permissions enabled in Admin Center by your System Admin.
To check your access level, log in at datashuttle.smartsheet.com
Data Shuttle for uploads
Data Shuttle requires data downloaded in CSV, XLSX, or Google Sheet format for uploads.
You can create an upload workflow in Data Shuttle to do the following:
- Import actual hours worked from an external time-tracking tool.
- Import actual expenses from an external accounting system.
- Update delivery sales pipeline from a non-SFDC (Salesforce) CRM tool.
- Merge data from an external system into an intake sheet to drive Control Center provisioning.
- Import data into Smartsheet from custom form-building tools.
Data Shuttle for offloads
You can use Data Shuttle to offload data as an attachment to a Smartsheet sheet or an external cloud source, such as OneDrive/SharePoint, Google Drive, or Box.
Create an offload workflow in Data Shuttle to do the following:
- Display key Smartsheet information to users who don't use Smartsheet.
- Export complex data in a simple structure for database ingestions.
- Make sheets available weekly in a cloud storage system to be sent as an email attachment.
- Send modified, filtered sheet data as an attachment to another sheet for complex solution building.
- Export, archive, and audit data by keeping exported versions as backups.
How do I get started with Data Shuttle?
Take a look at our DataShuttle learning track! It provides all you need to use DataShuttle.
Does Data Shuttle create a direct, automatic connection between Smartsheet and other systems?
Data Shuttle can perform automatic uploads of CSV or XLSX exports from other systems and can generate CSV or XLSX exports from Smartsheet. It doesn’t create a direct connection with other systems, but it can be used to streamline upload merges of information into existing sheets.
There are integrations and connectors to specific systems (including bidirectional syncs with Jira, Salesforce, and Microsoft Dynamics 365). Bridge by Smartsheet can create custom Integrations with other systems.
What data sources can I use as ingestion points for Data Shuttle upload workflows?
CSV, XSLX, or Google Sheet files that are either attachments to a sheet or row in Smartsheet or stored in Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive/SharePoint, or Box.
- In Commercial plans, the following drives are accessible by default based on system permissions, but the System Admin may restrict access:
- Google Drive
- OneDrive/Sharepoint
- Box
- In Smartsheet Gov plans, the drive for Microsoft's GCC High offering is also available. However, since most drives aren't accessible by default, you must contact support to activate access.
Can Smartsheet make ODBC connections to external SQL servers?
The Live Data Connector provides a common Integration to any ODBC-capable external application. The ODBC is a desktop product, so the customer needs to be able to install external products. This means it doesn’t really work with cloud services.
If it's not capable, then you'd likely need an export so Data Shuttle can pick it up from an external storage service.
Do archived workflows count against my total?
Yes. Workflows need to be deleted completely or they will count towards your total number of workflows.
Is Data Shuttle available for Smartsheet Gov or Smartsheet Regions EU?
Yes, Data Shuttle is available in the Commercial Smartsheet instance in both the US and EU, as well as Smartsheet Gov. To learn more visit the Smartsheet Gov and Smartsheet Regions articles.
What is the difference between a Data Shuttle upload workflow and importing an XLSX file into Smartsheet?
You can create a new sheet by importing an XLSX file into Smartsheet. If you have an existing sheet that needs changes merged into it on a recurring cadence, then creating a Data Shuttle upload workflow is more efficient.
Where can I offload files with Data Shuttle?
Data Shuttle can offload data from Smartsheet to OneDrive/Sharepoint, Box, Google Drive or as an attachment to a Smartsheet sheet. Attachment formats can be in either Excel XLSX or CSV format.
How do I see what Data Shuttle workflows have been created?
You can see any workflows that you have created. Smartsheet SysAdmin can see all workflows created by users in their organization. For more information, see Manage existing Data Shuttle workflows.
How does Data Shuttle handle special characters?
Files imported via Data Shuttle must be encoded as UTF-8.
Can I filter the data that is imported or exported?
Yes. You can set filters on upload and offload workflows to only import or export a subset of your data.
Are there any limitations to the amount of rows I can upload and offload?
If you need to upload from a source to replace more than or merge data into 20,000 rows, you can apply filters or map to only a selection of columns. You can also create multiple workflows using a standard data category to distribute the data into multiple sheets. You can offload up to 20,000 rows.
When I have Data Shuttle on my plan, who can use it?
Any user on a plan that has Data Shuttle can access by logging in at datashuttle.smartsheet.com. Data Shuttle appears in the launcher until a user logs in for the first time. Sys Admins can restrict access to Data Shuttle and other premium apps in the User Admin Center.