Adding Data to Your Sheet

Now that you’ve created your workbook, sheet, and defined your columns, it’s time to start adding data! In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to populate your sheet with information using the intuitive data entry interface.

What You’ll Learn

• How to add new rows to your sheet
• Understanding the Add Row dialog
• Entering data for different column types
• Editing existing rows
• Managing and deleting data

Prerequisites

• A sheet with columns defined (complete Adding Columns to Your Sheet if you haven’t already)

Understanding Data in Sheets

Before we start, let’s understand how data works in Sheety App:

• Each row represents a single record (like one employee, one task, or one product)
• Each column contains a specific type of information for that record
• Data is saved automatically when you submit a row
• You can edit or delete rows at any time

Step 1: Your Empty Sheet

When you first open a sheet with columns but no data, you’ll see the column headers and an empty grid ready for data entry.

Notice the toolbar at the top with several options:

• Filters - Filter your data
• Columns - Show/hide columns
• Search - Search through your data
• Add Row - Add new data (this is what we’ll use!)

Step 2: Adding Your First Row

Let’s add your first employee record to the sheet.

1. Click the “ADD ROW” button in the top-right corner of the toolbar

2. The “Add Row” dialog will open, showing input fields for all your columns:

The dialog displays:

• Input fields for each column in your sheet
• Save button to save your data
• Info Panel on the right (shows computed columns and triggers when applicable)

Dialog vs. Inline Editing

The Add Row dialog is perfect for entering complete records. You can also add rows by clicking directly in empty cells for quick data entry!

Step 3: Filling in the Data

Now let’s enter information for our first employee.

1. Full Name field:

   • Type: John Smith

2. Email field:

   • Type: john.smith@company.com

3. Department field (dropdown):

   • Click on the dropdown
   • Select: Engineering

Required Fields

If a column is marked as required, you must fill it in before you can save the row. Optional fields can be left empty.

4. Click the “SAVE” button to save your first row

Step 4: Viewing Your Data

After saving, you’ll see your new row appear in the sheet grid!

Notice that your row now includes:

• ✅ Checkbox for row selection
• ✅ All the data you entered
• ✅ Changed At column automatically populated with the timestamp
• ✅ Action buttons (Edit and Detail) for managing the row

The bottom of the sheet shows “Total Rows: 1” - your first record is saved!

Step 5: Adding More Rows

Let’s add another employee to see how multiple records look.

1. Click “ADD ROW” again
2. Enter the following information:
   • Full Name: Sarah Johnson
   • Email: sarah.johnson@company.com
   • Department: Engineering
3. Click “SAVE”

Now you have multiple rows in your sheet!

Quick Entry

For faster data entry, after saving a row, the Add Row dialog automatically closes. Simply click “ADD ROW” again to add the next record. This makes batch data entry quick and efficient!

Alternative Method: Quick Inline Entry

For even faster data entry, you can add rows directly in the grid using the placeholder row at the bottom of your sheet. This method is perfect when you need to quickly enter data without opening dialogs.

Step 1: Locate the Placeholder Row

Scroll to the bottom of your sheet data. You’ll see an empty placeholder row with a light blue background:

Step 2: Start Typing

Simply click on any cell in the placeholder row and start typing. The cell will become editable:

1. Click on the Full Name cell in the placeholder row
2. Type: Michael Brown

The cell activates as an editable field as you type!

Step 3: Move to Next Field

Press Tab or click the next cell to move to the Email field:

1. Type: michael.brown@company.com

Step 4: Fill Remaining Fields

Continue filling in the remaining fields:

1. Press Tab or click the Department cell
2. Start typing Engineering - a dropdown will appear
3. Click on “Engineering” from the dropdown

Step 5: Save the Row

Once all fields are filled, click the Save button that appears on the right side of the row.

The row is saved and moves up to join your other data rows. A new empty placeholder row appears at the bottom, ready for the next entry!

Choose Your Method

• Use the Add Row dialog for structured entry with helpful field labels
• Use inline editing for rapid data entry when you’re familiar with your columns Both methods save your data the same way - choose what works best for your workflow!

Editing Existing Data

Need to update information? Sheety App makes it easy to edit existing rows.

Method 1: Using the Edit Button

1. Locate the row you want to edit
2. Click the Edit button (pencil icon) on the right side of the row
3. The “Edit Row” dialog opens with all current data pre-filled

4. Make your changes
5. Click “SAVE” to update the row

Method 2: Inline Editing (Quick Edit)

For faster edits, you can click directly on any cell and start typing to edit it inline.

1. Click on any cell you want to edit (or start typing directly)
2. The cell becomes editable with a text input field

3. Make your changes
4. Press Enter to save the change

The row is automatically updated and the timestamp changes to reflect the edit!

Quick Tip

• Press Enter to save changes
• Press Escape to cancel without saving
• The timestamp automatically updates when you save

Managing Your Data

Selecting Rows

You can select rows for bulk operations:

• Select one row - Click the checkbox at the left of any row
• Select all rows - Click the checkbox in the header row
• Select multiple rows - Hold Ctrl (Windows) or Cmd (Mac) while clicking checkboxes

Deleting Rows

To delete one or more rows:

1. Select the row(s) you want to delete using the checkboxes
2. Click the “DELETE ROW” button in the toolbar (becomes enabled when rows are selected)
3. Confirm the deletion in the dialog that appears

Permanent Deletion

Deleting rows is permanent and cannot be undone. Make sure you want to delete the data before confirming!

Viewing Row Details

Click the “Detail” button (⋮) next to any row to see:

• Complete row information
• Row history and changes
• Related data from other sheets (if using Row Reference columns)

Understanding Column Types in Data Entry

Different column types provide different input methods:

Column Type	Data Entry Method	Example
Text	Text input field	Name, description, notes
Number	Numeric input field	Age, quantity, price
Check box	Toggle switch	Active/Inactive, Yes/No
Date	Date picker	Birth date, deadline
Option	Dropdown selection	Department, Status, Priority
Row Reference	Searchable dropdown	Manager, Related item
Member	Member selector	Assigned to, Created by

Smart Inputs

Sheety App provides intelligent input controls based on your column types. For example, date columns show a calendar picker, and Option columns show dropdowns with your predefined choices!

Keyboard Shortcuts

Speed up your data entry with these shortcuts:

• Tab - Move to next field
• Shift + Tab - Move to previous field
• Enter - Save row (in Add/Edit dialog)
• Escape - Close dialog without saving
• Ctrl/Cmd + S - Quick save (when editing inline)

Best Practices for Data Entry

Follow these tips for efficient and accurate data entry:

1. Be Consistent - Use the same format for similar data (e.g., “Engineering” not “engineering” or “eng”)
2. Use Dropdowns - Leverage Option columns for standardized choices
3. Validate as You Go - Check your data immediately after entry
4. Complete Required Fields - Fill in all required information to avoid incomplete records
5. Use Bulk Import - For large datasets, consider using the import feature (covered in another tutorial)

What’s Next?

Now that you know how to add data, you can:

• Import Bulk Data - Learn how to import data from CSV or Excel files
• Filter and Search Data - Find specific information in your sheets
• Sort and Organize Data - Arrange your data for better analysis
• Export Your Data - Download your data in various formats

Summary

In this tutorial, you learned how to:

• ✅ Add new rows using the Add Row dialog
• ✅ Fill in data for different column types
• ✅ View your data in the sheet grid
• ✅ Edit existing rows
• ✅ Select and delete rows
• ✅ Use keyboard shortcuts for faster data entry

Your sheet is now populated with data and ready to use!

Common Questions

Q: Can I add multiple rows at once? A: Yes! You can import multiple rows using CSV or Excel files. Check out the Importing Data tutorial.

Q: What happens if I close the browser while editing? A: Changes are only saved when you click the Save button. Unsaved changes will be lost if you close the browser or navigate away.

Q: Can I undo a deletion? A: No, row deletions are permanent. However, you can check the row history before deletion if you need to recover information.

Q: How many rows can I add to a sheet? A: Sheet limits depend on your subscription plan. Check your Subscription page for details.

Need Help?

If you encounter any issues or have questions:

• Check out our FAQ
• Learn about Data Validation
• Visit our Community Forum
• Contact support at support@sheetyapp.com