Smartsheet Data Shuttle Setup Guide 2026: Upload Workflows, Merge Keys, and Limits
Data Shuttle is Smartsheet’s no-code tool for moving CSV, XLSX or Google Sheets data into a sheet (or DataTable) on a schedule, and for offloading sheet data back out to a file. It is a scheduled file handoff, not a live API sync. If you expected middleware, adjust expectations now and the rest of the setup gets easier.
Per Smartsheet’s Learning Center and marketplace pages (checked October 12, 2026), you need:
- Data Shuttle as a premium app (Smartsheet says it is included in Advanced Work Management; Business and Enterprise customers may be eligible to trial; contact Smartsheet for add-on pricing).
- A System Admin to enable Data Shuttle permissions in Admin Center.
- Owner, Admin or Editor rights on the target sheet (Viewer is not enough).
- Columns built on the sheet before you map the workflow.
- A genuinely unique key column if you merge instead of replace.
I set this up for clients as part of SSPM’s Smartsheet practice. Most failures are sheet design problems, not mysterious Shuttle bugs.
What to build on the sheet first
Data Shuttle maps into existing columns. It does not create new ones during mapping, and it will not happily overwrite formula cells.
- Create every destination column with the right type (Date, Text/Number, Contact List, Dropdown).
- Keep raw import columns for Shuttle writes; put formulas in adjacent columns that reference them.
- Align date formats with what the source file actually emits.
- If a Dropdown is restricted, make sure source values exist in the list (or use Shuttle’s “update dropdown choices” action when that is the goal).
- Pick the unique identifier before you choose merge mode.
Create an upload workflow (step by step)
Official path from Create an upload workflow:
- Sign in at datashuttle.smartsheet.com (or open Connections / Data Integrations from a sheet).
- Select + and choose an upload workflow.
- Pick the source: Smartsheet attachment (sheet or row), Google Drive, Google Sheets, OneDrive/SharePoint, or Box.
- Confirm whether the file has column headers.
- Select the target sheet.
- Choose the action:
- Replace all target sheet rows with the file (Smartsheet documents replace workflows up to 5,000 rows per run).
- Merge based on a key column (update existing, add new, optionally delete rows that no longer match your filter).
- Update dropdown choices for selected columns from the file.
- Optional: add filters (AND/OR logic) so only matching source rows import.
- Map columns. For merge, set the Unique Identifier.
- Schedule: Run on attachment, Run on schedule, or run manually later. Schedules use UTC, not your Smartsheet display time zone.
- Share the workflow with other Workflow Managers if needed (they need Editor+ on source and target).
Source file size should stay under 1 GB. Smartsheet notes that some open XML-based XLSX files are unsupported; prefer CSV when an API generates the file. OneDrive connections support personal drives; shared-drive details differ by provider, so test with a Workflow Manager who has at least Viewer (Google) or Editor (shared drives) as documented.
The unique-identifier trap
Merge mode is only as good as the key column. Smartsheet’s docs describe unique identifiers as values that must not duplicate in that column (email, part number, employee code). If two source rows share a key, Shuttle cannot tell which row wins.
Also decide whether “delete unmatched” is on. Combined with a filter, that option removes target rows that fall out of the filter (Smartsheet’s own example: a person moves from United States to Canada and disappears from a Location = United States import). That is powerful and dangerous. Use it for true mirrors; avoid it for sheets that also hold manual columns you care about on those rows.
Merge vs replace vs dropdown update
| Mode | Behavior | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Replace | Rewrites target data from the file when changes are detected | Full extracts you refresh wholesale |
| Merge update + add | Upsert on unique key | Rosters, budgets, status feeds |
| Merge + delete unmatched | Also drops rows that no longer qualify | Exact filtered mirrors |
| Update dropdown choices | Refreshes picklist options from the file | Dynamic dropdowns driven by another system |
Offload workflows (sheet → file in Smartsheet, OneDrive, SharePoint, Google Drive or Box) are the reverse path when another system needs a scheduled extract. Same premium app, same Admin Center gate.
Troubleshooting that actually fixes runs
- Cannot access Data Shuttle: Admin has not enabled the premium app, or your user lacks Data Shuttle permission in Admin Center.
- Blank dates / rejected numbers: column types or formats do not match the file.
- Duplicates after merge: key column was not unique, or you appended when you meant to merge.
- Wrong run time: schedule is UTC; convert from your local time explicitly.
- Attachment trigger did nothing: filename rule or “most recent” criteria did not match; confirm columns still map.
For sheet intake without files, Smartsheet forms may be enough. For event logistics on one sheet, see Smartsheet for event planning. If notifications around imported rows misbehave, use the notifications fix guide. Pricing context for Business vs Enterprise lives in our Smartsheet pricing coverage when you need seat math around the add-on.
Common questions
Is Data Shuttle included with Smartsheet Business?
Data Shuttle is a premium capability. Smartsheet’s marketplace says it is included in Advanced Work Management, and that Business or Enterprise customers may be eligible to trial it. Confirm with your account team whether your plan already includes it or needs an add-on.
What permissions do I need?
Owner, Admin or Editor on the target sheet, plus Data Shuttle premium permissions enabled by a System Admin. Workflow Managers you share with also need Editor+ on the source and target.
How many rows can a replace workflow load?
Smartsheet documents replace workflows at up to 5,000 rows per run. Filter or split larger files.
Does Data Shuttle sync in real time?
No. It runs on attachment events, on a UTC schedule, or manually. It reads files; it does not poll an application API.
Can Data Shuttle write into formula columns?
Do not map formula columns as destinations. Import into plain columns and reference them with formulas elsewhere.
Steps and limits checked against Smartsheet Learning Center Data Shuttle articles and the Data Shuttle marketplace page on October 12, 2026.
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