Issue with row "new event" trigger

Nate.caspar

Hi there, I am using make.com (formerly integromat) to update an external database whenever a row in my smartsheet is updated.

The automation is set up so that whenever a row is updated, I get the row (all of the cells) and then send that data to update my database.

I only need this to trigger when a cell value is changed. The issue I am having is that if a row is re-ordered in the sheet, it causes the row numbers for that row and all of the other rows after wherever it was moved to, to update, which triggers a row update event for every single row whose number has changed.

This causes many issues (increased costs and excessive notifications).

I would use the cell update trigger, but then I have the issue of it not catching the update of a cell that was previously blank being updated with information. This counts as a cell created trigger, not updated. And if I were to use a cell created trigger, it would occur for every single cell whenever a row is created, which causes the same issue.

Any idea how I might be able to circumvent this?

Paul Newcome

The automations are row based, so if the row is already created and a cell within that row changes form blank to any value, it counts as a change and not a creation.

Nate.caspar

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/comment/391897#Comment_391897

That is what I had thought as well but after testing multiple times, if I create a new row in the sheet and save the sheet, then change a blank cell and save the sheet again, it does not trigger the webhook. If I change the value that I just entered in that same cell and save, that does trigger the webhook.

Edit

To clarify, the row update trigger works when a new row is created and any value is entered into a blank cell, but if it is a cell update trigger, then the event is not triggered when a new row is created and a blank cell is edited.

My issue is that when I use the row update trigger, whenever a row is moved in the sheet, it causes many row numbers to change which triggers the row update event many times which causes problems.

Paul Newcome

My apologies. I missed the part where you are using the API. I was answering based on an automation created in the sheet.

Please mark your post as Unanswered so that it can go back on the list of unanswered questions, as I don't have the API knowledge needed to answer this one. Sorry about that.

JamesB

@Nate.caspar

Maybe a helper column, i.e. a modified date column that is not a system column. Then have an automation that when data changes in specific cells of your choosing, the helper column has a date assigned, which could then be the next trigger?