A column is a typed field on a board: a status, a person, a date, a number, a link to another item. Gript ships with around 40 column types, so you can model almost anything without a spreadsheet workaround. This guide covers what a column is, how to add and manage one, and what every type actually does, grouped the same way you see them in the picker.
1
What is a Column?
In plain English: one typed field, repeated down every row on the board.
A column is a piece of data every item on a board can hold: a status, an owner, a due date, a price, a link to another item.
Each column has one type (Text, Date, Person and so on), and that type decides how the cell looks and what you can put in it. A board is really just a set of columns applied to a set of items, table style.
Type is fixed at creation
A column keeps its type for life. A Text column cannot become a Number column later, only a new column can.
Views can differ
A column can be hidden in one view and shown in another. The data is the same underneath; only visibility changes.
Some are read-only
System columns like Created At or Spending are filled in automatically. You cannot type into them by hand.
You do not need to know all ~40 types before you start. Most boards use eight to twelve of them. Use the category table in Section 3 as a lookup, not a checklist.
2
Adding, Editing, and Removing Columns
One picker for adding, one menu for everything else.
Adding a column
Board, add a column
The add column picker
Board · Add column
1
Click + at the right end of the column header row
A search box opens with every available column type listed underneath, grouped into categories such as Essentials, Time & Dates, and Connections. Type to filter by name, hint, or category.
2
Pick a type, name it, configure it
Most types open with sensible defaults; type-specific options (Format for Number, Options for Dropdown, and so on) appear right in the same panel.
3
Rename or reconfigure later
Click the column header, then Edit column. You can change the name, colour, and its options at any time. The type itself cannot change.
4
Hide, reorder, or delete
From the column header menu: Hide column keeps the data but drops it from the current view; dragging the header reorders columns per view; Delete column removes the column and its data for good, with no undo.
Deleting a column is permanent for non-system columns. There is no undo. Export the board first if you want a safety copy.
3
All Column Types, by Category
Every type in the picker, grouped exactly as you see them when you click +.
The column list
Board, Columns
The picker groups roughly 40 column types into ten categories. Read-only types are marked accordingly; a few need a Beta Feature switched on before they appear (see Section 9).
Essentials
TypeWhat it does
StatusA labelled value with a colour, for example To do, Working on it, Done. Labels, colours, and order are fully customisable.
PrioritySame mechanics as Status, conventionally used for priority levels such as Low, Medium, High, Critical.
TextA single line of text.
DescriptionA longer text field with basic formatting. Internally this is the Long text type.
NumberAny number. Display as plain, percentage, currency, or a fixed decimal precision.
PersonAssign one or more people. Assigning puts the item on their My Work list.
DateA single date, with four types: Due, Timeline, Milestone, or Just a date.
DropdownPick one or more values from a list you define in the column settings.
CheckboxA simple on/off toggle, with a configurable check colour and default-checked state.
EmailAn email address with an optional display label. Click to open your mail client.
PhoneA phone number with a country code.
Time & Dates
TypeWhat it does
TimelineA date range, start to end. Options: show the duration in days, exclude weekends from that count.
HourA time of day (HH:MM), shown in 12 or 24 hour format.
DurationAn elapsed length of time, displayed as Xh Ym Zs. What you plan or estimate.
Time TrackingA start/stop timer. Totals (all time and billable time) are logged automatically as work happens.
SpendingRead-only. Tracked billable hours times each person's rate, computed automatically.
Rich Content
TypeWhat it does
FileOne or more file attachments: upload from your device, or add from OneDrive, Google Drive, or a web link.
PictureAn image gallery cell, up to 20 images. Click to expand; arrow keys to move between them.
DocAn inline rich-text document embedded directly in the cell, using the same editor as notebook pages.
Link Notebook pageLinks to one or more documents: notebook pages or item-local docs. Internally the Linked docs type.
URLA web address with optional display text. Click to open in a new tab. Internally the Link type.
TagsFree-text tags. Type and press Enter to add; leave predefined options empty to let people type freely.
Metrics
TypeWhat it does
ProgressA 0 to 100 percent value, shown as a bar or a number. Can auto-compute from subitem completion.
RatingA row of stars, from 0 to 5. Click a star to set the value.
VoteEach team member can cast one click-to-toggle vote. The cell shows the running total.
FormulaRead-only. Computed from other columns with an Excel-style expression. See Section 5.
Visual
TypeWhat it does
ColorA hex colour swatch with an optional label, shown as a circle or a square.
Location
TypeWhat it does
LocationA street address geocoded via OpenStreetMap. Click the cell to open a map.
Connections
TypeWhat it does
Connect ItemsLinks to one or more items on any board you can access, shown as clickable chips.
Connect NotesLinks to one or more notebook pages.
DependencyPredecessor/successor links between items, with a link type and optional lag. Drives Timeline arrows.
Auto-Generated
TypeWhat it does
Auto NumberRead-only, increments by one per item. Optional prefix and zero-padding.
Created ByRead-only. The user who created the item.
Created AtRead-only. Timestamp of item creation.
Last Modified ByRead-only. The user who most recently changed any column.
Last Modified AtRead-only. Timestamp of the most recent change to any column.
Workflow
TypeWhat it does
ApprovalDraft, Pending Review, Approved, Rejected, or Changes Requested. Drives the item's approval chain.
SLAA countdown timer (Idle, Running, Paused, Stopped) against a policy deadline.
ButtonA clickable button on every row that runs one chosen automation on demand.
Resource management
TypeWhat it does
Planned hoursEffort planning: Simple mode (one total) or Detailed mode (day by day). Feeds the Workload view.
4
Status, Priority, Person, and Date
The four columns almost every board uses, looked at closely.
Status and Priority
Same underlying mechanics: a labelled value with a colour, click to open a picker. They are kept as two separate types so filters and automations can target one without the other. A board can have more than one Status column, for example one for stage and a second for blocker type. Labels, colours, default value, and order are all set in the column's Edit menu.
Person
Click the cell, search for a user, pick them. Assigning someone puts the item on their My Work list. The only per-column setting is Allow multiple, single assignee versus several. A common pattern is two Person columns on one board: one single-select for Owner, one multi-select for Watchers.
Date: four types in one column
Click a Date cell and the picker opens with four tabs across the top:
Date typeWhat it does
DueA normal deadline. Assignees get reminders, and a past due date counts as overdue everywhere: My Work, dashboards, filters, the home Due list.
TimelineTurns the cell into a start to end range picked on the calendar.
MilestoneMarks a significant date, shown as a diamond on Timeline view. Behaves like a due date for reminders and overdue.
Just a dateInformation only, for example an invoice date or a first-contact date. Never sends reminders, never turns red, and is left out of overdue counts and due lists.
Switching the tab on a cell that already has a date saves the new type immediately. In column settings you can also set the default date type new empty cells start on, Due date or Just a date, for columns that only ever hold record dates.
5
Number and Formula
One you type into, one that computes itself.
Number accepts any number. In the column's settings you set the display format (plain, percentage, currency, or a fixed decimal precision) and the thousands separator.
Formula is read-only: it computes a value from other columns using an Excel-style expression. Reference a column by wrapping its name in curly braces, for example {Revenue} - {Cost}. The 30 built-in functions:
GroupFunctions
MathSUM, AVERAGE, MIN, MAX, ABS, ROUND, FLOOR, CEIL, MOD, POWER
TextCONCATENATE, UPPER, LOWER, TRIM, LEN, LEFT, RIGHT, REPLACE
LogicIF, AND, OR, NOT, SWITCH
DateTODAY, NOW, DAYS, DATEADD, YEAR, MONTH, DAY
Worked example: days left before a deadline is DAYS({Due date}, TODAY()). A formula can reference another formula, as long as it does not create a circular reference.
6
Connect Items, Connect Notes, Dependency, and Lookup
The four relationship types: linking items and pulling in their data.
TypeWhat it does
Connect ItemsLinks this item to one or more items on any board you have access to, shown as clickable chips. Toggle Allow multiple in the column settings; there is no separate "target board" lock, you search and link across boards freely.
Connect NotesLinks this item to one or more notebook pages. No extra options; click the cell to pick a note.
DependencyMarks predecessor and successor items. Each link has a type, Finish to Start, Start to Start, Finish to Finish, or Start to Finish, and an optional lag in days. Drives the arrows drawn between bars on Timeline view.
LookupRead-only. Shows a cached value pulled in from a linked item. Currently created automatically when a Monday.com "mirror" column is imported (see the Data Import guide); it is not yet offered as a type in the manual + Add column picker.
Lookup is a real, working column type (it renders on the board and exports correctly), but you cannot create one from the Add column picker today; it only appears on boards imported from Monday.com. If you need the same effect manually, add a Connect Items column and read the value off the linked item directly, or ask about the Formula column referencing a connected value.
7
Doc, Button, and Approval/SLA
The columns that do more than hold a value: they embed an editor, run automations, or drive a workflow.
Doc
The Doc columnHow it behaves
What it isAn inline rich-text document in the cell, using the same editor as a full notebook page. Click the cell to open it.
Its title, by defaultFollows the row name. A Doc on the "Acme rollout" row opens titled "Acme rollout", and keeps following renames.
Giving it its own titleType one in the editor header and it stops following the row name from then on.
Button
The Button column puts a clickable button on every row that runs one chosen automation, on that exact row.
1
Build the automation first
With a "Button is clicked" trigger pointing at this column.
2
Open the column Settings and pick it
That is what wires the button to the rule.
3
Style it
Text, colour and icon, and optionally require a confirmation before it fires.
The per-cell value (who clicked, when, how many times) is written by the button itself. It is never typed in by hand.
Approval and SLA
ColumnWhat it holds
ApprovalOne of five states: Draft, Pending Review, Approved, Rejected, Changes Requested. It drives the item review chain.
SLAA countdown against a policy deadline, with Idle, Running, Paused and Stopped states, driven automatically by the status changes you configure. It turns red once the deadline passes.
Both are covered in full in the Approvals and SLA guides.
8
Read-Only and Auto-Generated Columns
Filled in by Gript, never typed by hand.
ColumnWhat it does
Auto NumberIncrements by one per item, starting at 1, per board. Optional prefix and zero-padding in column settings (for example TKT-0047).
Created ByThe user who created the item.
Created AtTimestamp of when the item was created.
Last Modified ByThe user who most recently changed any column on the item.
Last Modified AtTimestamp of the most recent change to any column.
SpendingEach task's actual cost: tracked billable hours times each person's rate, computed automatically as time is logged. No cap, nothing to type in.
All six of these show up greyed out or with no editable control in the cell. If you need a manual number instead, use a Text or Number column and fill it in yourself.
9
Feature-Gated Column Types
A handful of types only appear in the picker once the matching Beta Feature is switched on.
Turn features on in Control Panel, under Beta Features. Existing columns of a hidden type keep working; the feature switch only controls whether the type is offered when adding a new column.
Beta FeatureWhat it gates
Time TrackingGates the Time Tracking column.
FinancialsGates the Spending column.
Approval WorkflowsGates the Approval column.
SLAGates the SLA column.
Resource ManagementGates the Planned hours column.
10
Retired Types
Still readable if you have one on a board already; no longer offered when adding a column.
TypeWhat it does
BudgetSet a target amount and Gript tracked spent versus remaining. Retired in favour of the read-only Spending column (hours times rate, automatic, no cap). Existing Budget columns still display and can still be edited; new ones cannot be added.
BarcodeFully removed from the product. No longer shown in the picker, no longer rendered as a cell, and has no filter, formatting, or export support. Kept internally only so a pre-existing Barcode column on an old board does not crash the view.
11
Common Questions
Quick answers to what people ask most.
Can I change a column's type after creating it?
No. A Text column cannot become a Number column, and so on. To switch, add a new column of the type you want, copy values across manually if needed, then delete the old column.
Why do Status and Priority exist as two separate types if they work the same way?
So automations and filters can target one without the other unambiguously. You can also have more than one Status column on a board, for example one for stage and a second for blocker type.
What is the difference between Duration and Time Tracking?
Duration is a manually typed length of time, what you plan or estimate. Time Tracking is a start/stop timer whose totals are logged automatically as work happens, what you actually spent.
What is the difference between Duration and Hour?
Duration stores an elapsed length of time, for example 2h 30m. Hour stores a fixed time of day in 24-hour format, for example 14:30, for things like a meeting time or a shift start.
Can I add a Lookup column myself?
Not from the Add column picker today. Lookup columns currently appear only when importing a Monday.com board that has mirror columns; the type renders and exports correctly once it exists.
What happened to the Budget column?
It was retired in favour of the read-only Spending column, which computes hours times rate automatically with no cap to configure. Existing Budget columns on older boards keep working; new ones cannot be added.
Why can't I find the Time Tracking, Approval, SLA, Spending, or Planned hours columns in the picker?
Each is gated by a Beta Feature (Time Tracking, Approval Workflows, Financials, SLA, and Resource Management respectively). Turn the matching feature on in Control Panel to make the column type available.
How many columns can a board have?
No hard limit, but past roughly 50 columns Table view gets unwieldy. Hide columns per view to keep things readable without deleting data.
Can I build a custom column type?
Not from the UI. New column types are added as a developer plugin in the codebase.
What happens to a Lookup or Connect Items link if the linked item is deleted?
The Lookup cell goes blank and the Connect Items link is removed from display. If the linked item is restored from Trash, the link is restored with it.