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Smartsheet Remove Column Prefix or Suffix

Smartsheet has no bulk column-rename tool. When sheets are imported from other tools or generated from templates, column names often carry a repeated prefix or suffix — such as a project code, department tag, or date stamp — that needs to be stripped from every column. Without a bulk option, each column must be renamed individually through the right-click header menu.

Without Grid Tools

The daily workaround

Double-click and edit each header
Users double-click each column header, manually delete the repeated prefix or suffix text, and press Enter — repeating for every column affected.
Lose track of which columns are done
On sheets with many columns, users scroll back to check which headers they have already cleaned up and which ones still carry the old text.
Re-clean after re-import
Every time a sheet is rebuilt from an import or template, the prefix or suffix returns and the manual rename process starts over.
Risk mistyping while renaming
Hand-editing each header introduces typos, inconsistent casing, and accidental extra spaces that need a follow-up cleanup pass.
Screenshot: Double-clicking a column header to rename it
Double-clicking each column header to edit its name
Screenshot: Many column headers still carrying old prefix text
Columns still needing cleanup partway through manual edits
Screenshot: Typo introduced in a column name during manual rename
Typo introduced while editing a column name manually

With Grid Tools

How Grid Tools handles it

Strip a prefix or suffix from all columns
Enter the text to remove and Grid Tools deletes it from the start or end of every matching column name at once.
Preview before applying
See the before-and-after column names before committing the change so you can catch unintended matches.
Apply to selected columns only
Limit the operation to a chosen subset of columns rather than the entire sheet if only some headers carry the unwanted text.
Exact match — no accidental edits
Grid Tools only removes the text when it appears exactly at the specified position, so partial matches in the middle of a name are not affected.
Screenshot: Grid Tools prefix/suffix removal input panel
Entering the prefix or suffix text to remove
Screenshot: Preview of column names before and after removal
Before-and-after preview of affected column names
Screenshot: Column headers cleaned up after applying the change
Column names after prefix removal applied

Frequently asked questions

Does Smartsheet have a built-in bulk column rename tool?

No. Smartsheet requires renaming each column individually by double-clicking its header. Grid Tools adds bulk prefix and suffix removal so you can clean up many column names at once.

Can I remove a suffix instead of a prefix?

Yes. Grid Tools supports both prefix removal (from the start of the column name) and suffix removal (from the end). You specify which position to target.

Will removing a prefix break any formulas that reference that column?

Smartsheet formulas reference columns by name, so renaming a column will update the column reference. Grid Tools renames via the same mechanism as a manual rename, so the same formula-update rules apply.

What if only some columns have the prefix I want to remove?

Grid Tools only modifies columns where the specified text appears at the exact start or end of the name. Columns that do not match are left untouched.

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