Change Cell Workflow: for Flag, Star, and Symbol columns

Erica L.

Smartsheet TAM confirmed for me that we can't have an Automation change a cell value if the column type is a checkbox for the icons for either a Flag or Star. Can this be an enhancement request?

Audrey Howard

Hello,

What I'm hoping can be added as a function of smartsheet is adding symbols (specifically the progress bar, but the color dots could be another easy one to automate too) in automations. As of right now, the automations can have the result be changing a cell to a certain value, but Symbol columns are not a type that are allowed to be automated. I would imagine it wouldn't be too difficult, since the symbols have names for each symbol already, and they can be input into a formula, so it should be simple to have an automation that goes along the lines of: 'when 'done' checkbox is checked> change a cell 'Progress'> change to 'full' when triggered.

Thank you!

Jason H

Hi Audrey,

I hopefully digested your ask properly and if so, this formula I use to change the Harvey ball symbols, might be an option for you. I wanted the Harvey ball symbols to change based on % complete column & the finish column.

Here is the formula

=IF([% Complete]20 = 1, "Green", IF(TODAY() - Finish20 > -1, "Red", IF(TODAY() - Finish20 > -3, "Yellow", "Blue")))

Here isa breakdown of the formula

• I wanted the Harvey ball symbols to change based on % complete column & the finish column.
• If % complete is 100%, green // IF([% Complete]20 = 1, "Green" //
• If today is 3 days from actual finish, and not 100%, yellow //IF(TODAY() - Finish20 > -3, "Yellow"//
• If today is after actual finish, and not 100%, red // IF(TODAY() - Finish20 > -1, "Red" //
• If parameters above are met then, blue (good to go) // "Blue" //

I hope this helps!

Anthony Favara

Enable Cells with Checkbox Styles as Flags or Stars to be changed similarly to how cells with "Checkbox" styles are able to.

KGHarvey

What actions need to be taken to enable it? My automation builder will not even recognize Flags or Stars Checkbox columns as options for automation.

Mary Wall

I just spent several hours trying to figure out why i couldn't find a field when setting up a change...Finally called tech support and after several minutes of trial and error the support person advised it was because my field is set up for a star and not a check. For the love of all that is holy, if you allow users to make checkboxes stars or a flag, please allow users to set up automations to "check" the star or flag the field!

Nathan E

Currently, if you are building smartsheet automations, you can toggle checkboxes programmatically using the "Change Cell Value" box. But bizarrely if you set the checkbox to display as a flag or star, it is no longer listed as a changeable value. As a developer, I consider this more of a bugfix than a "feature request," except that I think someone actually decided to restrict the functionality. Regardless, it should be changed. Sometimes a flag or star is more appropriate, and you still need the function to work.

Steven Munsey

Use case: When a new project is created, we want the initial project health to be a green symbol. The Change Cell Value workflow does not include Symbol type columns, only text/number, single select drop downs, and checkbox columns. Can we include Symbol columns in this workflow as an enhancement?

Krystal Garcia

Yes this is a great idea!

Michelle Choate 2

+1 for this!

Mark H

Missing this capability seems like an oversight when automation to set a cell value was implemented. Please add the ability to set a Symbol value in workflow automation.

The workflow I'd like to implement is exactly as @Frank Falco described in his post Change Cell Value Automation - flag or symbols in 2021. Specifically, I would like to have two fields -- Health and Status. Health is a symbol value (e.g., red/yellow/green/blue circle) and Status is a dropdown text value (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done). I would like to manually set Health and Status values and define an automated workflow to set the Health value to blue when Status changes to Done. This automation is currently not possible.

Melaniejmorrison

Allow Workflow Automations for Symbols 

Neal Armstrong

Our team uses symbols to track the review process of form submissions. I would love an automated workflow to set progress bars and Harvey Balls at zero when the row is created.

Dental

Yes, you can change the cell value for a checkmark box between checked and non-checked -- great

You can update the cell field to any text (i.e, "need updated copy" when X-field date is in the past) if the value needs to be changed -- getting there

However, you can't format the field or text color to anything (i.e., change to red to indicate immediate action is necessary) when the value is changed -- GRRRRR

The only way around the problem I've found is two-steps: (1) change the value via Automation, then (2) create a conditional formatting for the desired value(s)

Sean Mc

Just gave up trying to work aorund this here: https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/comment/422462

Please add!

sheetsmartsarah

After refreshing dozens of times and running through the list of cells over and over, I found my way to this post. I can't believe it!

I changed my column to the "checkbox" style, updated my automation, changed the "checkbox" style back to the flag, and then it disabled the entire workflow. But it is a checkbox column....?

It's been over a year now. Is there any sign of this getting updated?

I want rows to automatically be "flagged" based on certain conditions. A checkbox implies that something is "good to go" or "complete". The flag style will show that something needs to be reviewed -- "attention required". I don't want people to manually skim the sheet for the conditions that require attention.