Comments in Approval Requests

System

This discussion was created from comments split from: Add Comments to Approval Workflow.

tonytranesq

Hi,

I'm looking for a similar feature. Adding a comment using the above works, but it doesn't look like these comments are available for use in generating documents.

We want to create an approval workflow that allows users to review content, approve with comments, and generate a final document that include those comments.

Right now, we send an update row request to capture the comment, then trigger an approval request (which is duplicative to the user who just reviewed and commented), then generate a final document. We could delete the approval step and treat the update step as "the approval," but that is more of a workaround where what we really want is a true approval with column comment step.

Thanks

Andrée Starå

Hi @tonytranesq

I hope you're well and safe!

Here's a possible workaround or workarounds

• Use the latest comment column feature that collects the latest comment. (if you have multiple, you can set up a workflow that copies them over to another sheet and collect them back together to the main sheet)

https://help.smartsheet.com/articles/2482475-latest-comment-column

Would that work/help?

I hope that helps!

Be safe, and have a fantastic weekend!

Best,

Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

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tonytranesq

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/comment/371894#Comment_371894

Yes thank you!

Andrée Starå

@tonytranesq

Excellent!

Happy to help!

tonytranesq

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/comment/372125#Comment_372125

After deploying this change, the generated documents are cutting off comments. It appears the last comment feature only copies up to ~350 characters, which is less than the row comment character limit.

In this scenario, users can add comments (tested up to 890 characters), but the generated form will only show the first 350 characters in their comment.

Is there a setting that I'm missing? I need to either increase the last comment character limit, or reduce the row comment character limit. I would prefer the former.

Thanks

HeatherD.

Hi @tonytranesq!

350 characters is, indeed, the current character limit for the Latest Comment column, which includes the number of characters in the commenter's name. It looks like another user has already made this recommendation on our Ideas & Feature Requests page, so when you have a moment, will you please head over to Allow Customisation of the Limit for Latest Comment and upvote it?

In the meantime, you could set up a separate text/number column in which the final approver can enter their comments in the update request workflow. You could then map that comments column to your document mapping in Document Builder. This should allow you to bypass the 350-character limit. Hope this helps!

Best,

Heather