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Smartsheet Select Subset of Columns

Selecting a non-contiguous group of columns in Smartsheet means holding Ctrl and clicking each header individually. On wide sheets this is slow and fragile — one wrong click drops the entire selection and forces a restart. There is no way to filter or search for columns to build a selection from a list.

Without Grid Tools

The daily workaround

Ctrl-click each target column
Users hold Ctrl and click every column header they want, repeating across the full sheet width for non-adjacent columns.
Restart after a misclick
Clicking a non-header cell or releasing Ctrl at the wrong moment clears the selection and the process starts over.
Scroll and select across viewport
When target columns are spread across a wide sheet, users must scroll while maintaining their Ctrl-held selection, which is unreliable in Smartsheet.
Apply changes one column at a time
When multi-column selection is too frustrating, users apply formatting or column actions individually to each target column instead.
Screenshot: Ctrl-clicking column headers across a wide sheet
Holding Ctrl and clicking each target column header
Screenshot: Selection lost after accidentally clicking a cell
Entire selection cleared by a single misclick
Screenshot: Applying the same change to each column separately
Repeating the same action column-by-column as a workaround

With Grid Tools

How Grid Tools handles it

Pick columns from a list
Grid Tools presents a named list of all columns so you can check the ones you want rather than clicking headers on the grid.
Select non-adjacent columns reliably
Choose any combination of columns regardless of their position — no need to scroll or hold modifier keys.
Apply bulk actions to the selection
Once your subset is selected, apply formatting, width changes, or other column actions to all chosen columns at once.
Filter the column list by name
Type part of a column name to narrow the list and quickly locate columns in large sheets.
Screenshot: Grid Tools column picker showing named column list
Column picker listing all sheet columns by name
Screenshot: Multiple non-adjacent columns checked in the picker
Checking specific columns from the list
Screenshot: Selected columns highlighted in the sheet grid
Non-adjacent columns selected and ready for bulk action

Frequently asked questions

Does Smartsheet have a column picker or column multi-select panel?

No. Smartsheet only supports column selection by Ctrl-clicking headers directly on the grid. Grid Tools adds a named column list so you can select any combination without touching the grid.

Can I select columns that are not next to each other?

Yes. The Grid Tools column picker lets you check any columns by name, so non-adjacent columns are just as easy to select as adjacent ones.

What bulk actions work after selecting a column subset?

Any Smartsheet column-level action applies to the selection — alignment, text wrap, column width, and more. You can also use Grid Tools column-management features on the selected subset.

Does this work with hidden columns?

Hidden columns appear in the Grid Tools column list and can be included in a selection for actions that apply to hidden columns, such as bulk-unhide.

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