Ability to Hide Columns by Permission in Google Sheets

[joseph_upshaw]

A very common requirement is to prevent certain users from seeing certain columns in a Google Sheet. Columns can be hidden but, A. This hides for all users and B. More importantly, any user can unhide them.

For example, from a technical perspective, we want to collaborate on estimates for a project plan. Different area owners will need to fill in their tasks along with estimated hours.

However, other users need to know what these estimates mean from a budgetary  perspective. So, they would have a column that contained the labor rates and their derived budgetary estimates. However, they would not want, for example, developers, to see this information. 

Ideally, the columns could not only be "protected" from edits but, from view as well. 

[Marc_Dillon]

You're posting in the Appsheet forums. I believe you're in the wrong place. However, coincidentally, Appsheet would be a great solution to achieve the functionality that you're asking for here.

[joseph_upshaw]

Oh, dear, posting before coffee 😴.

Let me try to find the right place to request Google Sheet enhancements. We're kind of constrained here with the tool suites we're permitted to use. Thanks, @Marc_Dillon !

[dbaum]

In case it helps: If you need some users to have view-only access and only to a subset of the data, you can link one spreadsheet to another (e.g., IMPORTRANGE - Google Docs Editors Help) and manage each file's permissions separately.

[joseph_upshaw]

Thanks, @dbaum. That is actually very helpful. I'll make this change now.

In the meantime, I did ask for this (direct) enhancement in Google Sheets (the correct forum this time 😉)

[harryi3t]

hey @joseph_upshaw , can you add the link so that people like me who are coming here from the search engine could be redirected in the right direction?

Thanks