Protect sensitive data in your app
Updated Aug 9, 2026
Some of the data your team handles — Social Security numbers, card numbers, driver licenses — should never sit in plain view. Sheetward masks these values everywhere by default. A teammate glancing at a screen, an exported file, or a support view sees only what they need to.
What protection you get, where
| Where the value appears | What people see |
|---|---|
| The grid and forms | Only the last 4 digits, with a reveal toggle while editing |
| Storage | Values are encrypted at rest when field encryption is enabled; card numbers are only ever stored as the last 4 digits |
| Exports | Masked by default; an owner can tick Include sensitive data to export real values where allowed |
| Support views | Always masked — operator support access to your workspace is consent-based and read-only |
SSN and card fields get this treatment automatically. Any other field can get it too — you decide which ones in your App Specification.
Make a field sensitive
Say your expense-claim form has a Driver License field you want masked.
- In your workbook, open the
Rules_sheet. - In the Rule Type column, enter
sensitiveon the row for that field — here, the Driver License field. - Generate or update your app from the App Specification. The field now masks its value in the grid and forms, just like an SSN field.
Who sees real values in exports?
Exports mask sensitive fields by default, so a spreadsheet shared around the office doesn't leak what the app protects. Sometimes someone genuinely needs the real values — say, for a year-end audit file. An owner can tick Include sensitive data during export, where allowed.
Good to know
- Card numbers are never stored in full — only the last 4 digits — so a full card number can't be exported or revealed later, by anyone.
- While editing a record, the reveal toggle lets you check the full value of a sensitive field.
- If Sheetward's support team is helping with your workspace, their access is consent-based and read-only, and sensitive values stay masked in everything they see.