Columns

Learn how to create, customize, and manage columns in Raycaster AI Workspace

Understanding Columns

Columns in Raycaster organize different types of information about your companies and people. Each column has a specific data type that determines how information is stored, displayed, and edited.

Column Types

Raycaster offers several column types to handle different kinds of data:

Column Type	Description	Use Cases
SINGLE_LINE_TEXT	Short text content limited to one line	Names, titles, short identifiers
MULTI_LINE_TEXT	Plain text content spanning multiple lines	Notes, brief descriptions
TEXT	Rich text content with formatting	Detailed descriptions, formatted content
NUMBER	Numeric values with formatting	Revenue, headcount, funding amounts
BOOLEAN	True/false values	Yes/no flags, verification status
SINGLE_SELECT	One choice from predefined options	Status, category, stage
MULTI_SELECT	Multiple choices from options	Tags, features, capabilities
URL	Web links	Websites, social profiles, documents
EMAIL	Email addresses	Contact information
DATE	Date values	Founded date, last contact, deadlines
ACTION	Interactive research triggers	Research actions, data enrichment
RESEARCH	AI-powered research content	Detailed analysis, insights
JSON	Structured data in JSON format	Complex data, API responses
FILE	File attachments	Documents, presentations, spreadsheets
IMAGE	Image references	Logos, diagrams, visual content
AVATAR	Profile pictures	Person identifiers, profile images

Adding a New Column

1. Create New Column

   In the column management panel, click “Add Column”

2. Set Column Properties

   Configure the basic properties:

   • Name: Enter a descriptive column title
   • Type: Select the appropriate data type
3. Configure Type-Specific Options

   Depending on the selected type, additional configuration options will appear:

   • For TEXT: Enable/disable rich text formatting
   • For NUMBER: Set prefix, suffix, abbreviation options
   • For SINGLE_SELECT/MULTI_SELECT: Define the available choices
   • For DATE: Configure date format
4. Enable AI Capabilities (Optional)

   Toggle “AI Capabilities” if you want to enable research for this column

   • Set the research tool type
   • Configure the prompt template
   • Configure formatting
   • Enable/disable web search
   • Choose Run option
     • Save all will just save the column
     • “Run” will run research on the column

   Enabling AI capabilities allows Raycaster to automatically research and populate this column with information.

   
5. Save Column

   Click “Save” to add the column to your sheet

Configuring Column Types

Each column type has specific configuration options:

TEXT Column

• Rich Text: Enable for formatting options like bold, italic, lists, and headings
• Single Line: Limit to a single line of text without paragraph breaks
• Character Limit: Optionally set a maximum character count

NUMBER Column

• Prefix: Add text or symbol before the number (e.g., ”$”)
• Suffix: Add text after the number (e.g., ”%”, “M”)
• Decimal Places: Set number of decimal places to display
• Abbreviate Large Numbers: Enable to show 1,000,000 as 1M

BOOLEAN Column

• Labels: Customize display text for true/false values
• Default: Set the default state for new entries

SINGLE_SELECT Column

• Options: Define choices with:
  • Name
  • Color
  • Description (optional)
• Default: Optionally select a default value
• Utilize Formatting to add selections

MULTI_SELECT Column

• Options: Define choices with name and color
• Limit: Optionally set maximum number of selectable options
• Utilize Formatting to add selections

DATE Column

• Format: Choose date display format (e.g., MM/DD/YYYY)
• Include Time: Toggle to include time component
• Default to Current Date: Toggle to use current date for new entries

Enabling AI Research for a Column

To configure a column for AI-powered research:

1. Toggle AI Capabilities

   In the column editor, enable “AI Capabilities”

2. Select Research Tool

   Choose from available research tools:

   • ADVANCED RESEARCH: advanced features like web search and location-aware research.
   • BASIC RESEARCH: AI powered research
   • EMAIL FINDER: Find emails for a company/person
   • COMPANY ENRICHMENT: Company specific data
   • PEOPLE ENRICHMENT: People specfiic data
   • And others depending on your sheet type
3. Configure Prompt

   Write a research prompt that specifies what information to gather

   • Use variables from other columns utilizing the ’@’ character
   • Be specific about the information you want
4. Select Input Variables

   Choose which columns to reference in your prompt

5. Configure Web Search

   Toggle web search on/off depending on your needs

6. Save Configuration

   Click “Save” to enable research for this column

Learn more about research configuration

Managing Existing Columns

Editing Columns

To modify an existing column:

1. Access Column Management

   Click “Manage Columns” in the toolbar

   
2. Select Column

   Find the column you want to edit and click the edit (pencil) icon

3. Modify Properties

   Change any of the column’s properties as needed

   Changing a column’s type may result in data loss if the new type cannot store the existing values. For example, changing from TEXT to NUMBER will remove non-numeric content.

4. Save Changes

   Click “Save” to apply your modifications

Reordering Columns

To change the order of columns in your sheet:

1. Access Column Management

   Click “Manage Columns” in the toolbar

2. Enable Reordering

   Toggle “Reorder Mode” to on

3. Drag Columns

   Click and drag column cards to new positions

   
4. Save New Order

   Click “Save” to apply the new column order

Hiding Columns

To hide columns without deleting them:

1. Click “Manage Columns” in the toolbar
2. Find the column you want to hide
3. Toggle the visibility switch to off
4. Click “Save” to apply the changes

Hidden columns still store data but are not visible in the table view. You can make them visible again at any time.

Deleting Columns

To permanently remove a column:

Deleting a column permanently removes all data stored in that column across all rows. This action cannot be undone.

1. Access Column Management

   Click “Manage Columns” in the toolbar, or click on the column name

2. Select Column

   Find the column you want to delete

3. Delete Column

   Click the delete (trash) icon next to the column name

4. Confirm Deletion

   In the confirmation dialog, confirm that you want to delete the column

For best practices on column organization, see the Best Practices section.

Assistant

Responses are generated using AI and may contain mistakes.