1️⃣Getting Started

Welcome to SmartBackup docs. SmartBackup is the solution for individuals or organizations 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.

Getting started

Getting started with SmartBackup is very simple and could be achieved with three easy steps.

1. Download and install the latest version of SmartBackup, which can be found here.

2. For Starter Edition and Business Edition you will need to configure your user details so that SmartBackup knows which Smartsheet accounts to backup. For Enterprise Edition, you will need to use a Smartsheet sysAdmin Token to generate a list of all Smartsheet Users automatically.

3. Run your first Backup or further customize scheduling and other options.

Watch Demo

When working with a Backup application like SmartBackup, it's important to be comfortable with the interface and to know how to perform basic tasks. Watch the video below to learn how to navigate the SmartBackup interface and complete your first backup.

The demo will familiarise you with the interface and show you how to create your first backup. It also introduces you to the SETTINGS required to run SmartBackup. Later in the video it introduces you to other data management operations like Archive and Export.

Why Backup?

There are various reasons for having backups. In climbing, a backup can save your life, but with data, a backup can save your business.

1. More Smartsheet users means more people are sharing. People are not infallible. They make mistakes, and actually, they make them quite often. There’s no reason to fear this if you take frequent incremental backups.

2. The IRS and regulatory commissions really don’t care that you had a data disaster. All it means to them is that you’re not compliant and they can fine you. Ensuring that you’ve got an offsite backup of critical Smartsheet information can really save you if something goes wrong.

3. You are responsible for your Smartsheet data. In the event of a minor or even major mishap, having a backup means your operations can recover quickly.

4. As a Smartsheet Power user, you most likely know that Smartsheet provides a convenient backup capability, but the challenge comes when you want to recover from those backup copies and you 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 SmartBackup, it's easy-peasy.

Biggest Threats?

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

Scenario	Description
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 application 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.

Learning SmartBackup

People come to SmartBackup from different backgrounds and with different learning styles. Whether you prefer a more theoretical or a practical approach, we hope you’ll find this section helpful.

1. Get yourself orientated by watching the intro video Watch Now

2. Familiarize yourself by watching the how-to-use-it video Watch Now

3. Browse the Playbooks

4. Take SmartBackup for a spin Download Now

5. Start exploring by reading the various Guides, especially the Reference Guide