Watch the video above for a hands-on walkthrough of tables in action.
The guide below covers the key steps and formatting options so you can start using tables in your own documents straight away.
Adding and Managing Tables in BIM Documents for Better Structured Content
Not everything in a project document works well as paragraphs. Responsibility matrices, lists of deliverables, project roles, form fields that need filling in – this kind of information belongs in a grid. Tables give you a structured way to present data that would be messy or hard to scan as running text, and they’re essential for documents like BIM execution plans (BEP), exchange information requirements (EIR), and coordination schedules.
In Plannerly, you can add tables to any document section alongside your regular text content. The recommendation is to put tables in their own dedicated sections so they’re easier to manage, move, and reuse – but you have the flexibility to mix tables and text in the same section if that works better for your document.
There are two ways to insert a table. The quick insert option on any blank line lets you drop in a table immediately. For more control, the insert table option under the rich content toolbar lets you specify exactly how many rows and columns you need before the table is created. Once a table is in place, clicking into it brings up a dedicated table toolbar with everything you need to format and manage the grid.
The formatting options cover what you’d expect and more. You can set background colours on cells, merge cells for spanning headers, adjust alignment, change text styles and sizes, and add or delete rows and columns. You can also designate a column header row and adjust column widths by dragging. When working with text across multiple cells, hold Command (or Control) plus Shift and use the arrow keys to select several cells at once – changes you make will apply to all of them simultaneously.
If your table content is wider than the page, you can switch the page layout to landscape to give yourself more room. And when you need to reuse a table, you can copy it by selecting above and below the table, then using Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V to paste it into a new section or document.
Tables become even more powerful when combined with smart fields. You can insert smart fields into table cells so that project-specific values – like project codes, team names, or dates – populate automatically from your project data. This turns a static table into a dynamic form that updates itself across documents, which is exactly the kind of efficiency that teams managing ISO 19650 documentation need.
How to add and format tables in Plannerly documents
- Insert a table with quick insert – click on a blank line inside a section and use the quick insert button to add a basic table instantly.
- Use the advanced insert option – for more control, click “insert table” under the rich content toolbar and specify the number of rows and columns you want.
- Access the table toolbar – click into the table to bring up the formatting toolbar. Click a second time on a cell to see cell-specific options.
- Format cells – set background colours, change text styles and sizes, adjust alignment, and apply other formatting and layout options from the toolbar.
- Insert or delete rows and columns – use the toolbar options to add or remove rows and columns as your content evolves.
- Merge cells – select multiple cells and merge them for spanning headers or grouped content areas.
- Add a column header – designate the top row as a header row to give your table a clear visual structure.
- Resize columns – drag column borders to adjust widths so your content fits comfortably.
- Switch to landscape – if the table is too wide for portrait, change the page layout to landscape for more horizontal space.
- Copy and reuse tables – select above and below the table, copy with Ctrl+C, and paste with Ctrl+V into another section or document.
What you’ll learn
- Table insertion methods – how to use quick insert for speed or the advanced option for precise row and column control
- Cell formatting and styling – how to apply background colours, text styles, alignment, and merged cells to create professional-looking tables
- Multi-cell editing – how to select and format multiple cells simultaneously using keyboard shortcuts
- Page layout for wide tables – how to switch between portrait and landscape when your content needs more room
- Tables plus smart fields – how combining tables with smart fields creates dynamic, reusable forms that populate automatically
Common questions
Can I mix tables and text in the same document section?
Yes – you can add a table alongside text in any section. However, Plannerly recommends placing tables in their own dedicated sections where possible. This makes them easier to manage, reorder, and reuse across documents.
What should I do if my table is too wide for the page?
Switch the page layout from portrait to landscape to give your table more horizontal space. You can also check the help article on preventing tables from going outside the page when exporting to Word or PDF, which covers how to manage wide table layouts for export.
How do I copy a table to another document?
Select above and below the table (not just the table cells themselves), then use Ctrl+C to copy and Ctrl+V to paste into a section in another document. The copy a table help article has the full details on getting this right.
Can I use smart fields inside table cells?
Yes, and this is one of the most powerful combinations in Plannerly. Insert a smart field into a table cell and it will pull in project data automatically – like project codes, team roles, or dates. This means your tables act as dynamic forms that stay up to date without manual editing, which is especially useful for BIM execution plans and other ISO 19650 documents.
What kind of documents benefit most from tables?
Any document that includes structured or repetitive data. Responsibility matrices, deliverable schedules, information requirements, project roles, meeting agendas, risk registers, and form-based templates all work well as tables. For ISO 19650 workflows, tables are particularly useful for managing requirements, tracking assignments, and presenting structured project information clearly.
Explore further
- Tables in Plannerly – a detailed look at how tables work across the platform and what you can do with them
- Using SmartFields – learn how to insert smart fields into table cells for dynamic, reusable forms
- Simple and fast editing of docs sections – the companion lesson on editing the sections where your tables live
- BIM Boot Camp – the intensive programme covering end-to-end BIM and ISO 19650 workflows