Workflow set to trigger when row is changed, but is being triggered when a row is added?

I have a form that adds rows to a sheet and I have a flag column in the sheet that looks for certain values in the row and flags when it finds "TBD". SO when someone fills out the form and their data contains "TBD", it checks a flag on that row.

Eventually those TBD issues are updated and get resolved in the sheet, thereby automatically unchecking the flag column when it no longer finds "TBD".

I need to get an email notification when that flag is unchecked, so I have a work flow set up to trigger when rows are changed, when the TBD flag column *changes* to unflagged. The problem is the workflow is getting triggered when rows are added, and the entry does not contain "TBD" so the flag is never getting checked to begin with. i.e. someone completes the form and a new row is created (it does not contain TBD)...the sheet looks for TBD and doesn't find it so *leaves* the flag unchecked. What's the deal?

Best Answer

  • Andrée Starå
    Andrée Starå ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    Answer ✓

    @dmui88

    Strange!

    Do you have any other workflows that could interfere?

    If you don't, try making a copy of the current one, deactivate the first, and test if that makes a difference.

    Did that make any difference?

    Remember! Did my post(s) help or answer your question or solve your problem? Please support the Community by marking it Insightful/Vote Up/Awesome or/and as the accepted answer. It will make it easier for others to find a solution or help to answer!

    SMARTSHEET EXPERT CONSULTANT & PARTNER

    Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

    W: www.workbold.com | E:andree@workbold.com | P: +46 (0) - 72 - 510 99 35

    Feel free to contact me for help with Smartsheet, integrations, general workflow advice, or anything else.

Answers

  • Andrée Starå
    Andrée Starå ✭✭✭✭✭✭

    Hi @dmui88

    I hope you're well and safe!

    Can you share some screenshots? (Delete/replace any confidential/sensitive information before sharing) That would make it easier to help.

    I hope that helps!

    Be safe, and have a fantastic week!

    Best,

    Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

    Did my post(s) help or answer your question or solve your problem? Please support the Community by marking it Insightful/Vote Up, Awesome, or/and as the accepted answer. It will make it easier for others to find a solution or help to answer!

    SMARTSHEET EXPERT CONSULTANT & PARTNER

    Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

    W: www.workbold.com | E:andree@workbold.com | P: +46 (0) - 72 - 510 99 35

    Feel free to contact me for help with Smartsheet, integrations, general workflow advice, or anything else.

  • dmui88
    dmui88 ✭✭✭

    Below are two screenshots showing the full workflow. I should specify that I have several TBD unflag triggers set up covering different topics of information that people are sending via the form. I'm getting an immediate notification when a form is submitted and it has any number of unflagged TBD issues. However when a form is submitted and every flag is flagged, then the notification correctly does not get sent.


  • Ella
    Ella ✭✭✭✭

    @dmui88 I am having troubles understanding your last paragraph, could you post some sheet screenshots on how TBD is added and then resolved?

  • Andrée Starå
    Andrée Starå ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    Answer ✓

    @dmui88

    Strange!

    Do you have any other workflows that could interfere?

    If you don't, try making a copy of the current one, deactivate the first, and test if that makes a difference.

    Did that make any difference?

    Remember! Did my post(s) help or answer your question or solve your problem? Please support the Community by marking it Insightful/Vote Up/Awesome or/and as the accepted answer. It will make it easier for others to find a solution or help to answer!

    SMARTSHEET EXPERT CONSULTANT & PARTNER

    Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

    W: www.workbold.com | E:andree@workbold.com | P: +46 (0) - 72 - 510 99 35

    Feel free to contact me for help with Smartsheet, integrations, general workflow advice, or anything else.

  • dmui88
    dmui88 ✭✭✭

    @Ella let me give some more context. We have people submitting a questionnaire, answering questions about what services they'll be providing in the coming year. But when they complete the form, sometimes they don't know exactly the details, so they type in TBD. This could be with regards to dates, locations, registration links, etc. So i have a a few columns that flag when an entry contains TBD in that particular section.

    As time goes on, we reach back out to those same people with update requests if they had any sections with a TBD issue flagged. Once that information is updated, then the TBD flag is unflagged (resolved). I want to get a notification when one of those TBD flags gets unflagged.

    The problem is I'm getting notified when a new entry is made and is has any unflagged values, but the notification is set for only when a row changes, not when a row is added.

  • dmui88
    dmui88 ✭✭✭
    edited 11/03/23

    Andre, that copying and deactivating the original did not work. I checked other workflows and nothing appeared to be interfering at face value, but I started turning off the workflows and narrowed it down to one that was causing the issue! Thank so much for your help on this!

    It was the following workflow causing the issue, but I have no idea why. It seems totally unrelated.


  • Andrée Starå
    Andrée Starå ✭✭✭✭✭✭

    @dmui88

    You're more than welcome!

    Glad you got it working!

    It could be a formula or something else affected by that workflow. (chain of events)

    SMARTSHEET EXPERT CONSULTANT & PARTNER

    Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

    W: www.workbold.com | E:andree@workbold.com | P: +46 (0) - 72 - 510 99 35

    Feel free to contact me for help with Smartsheet, integrations, general workflow advice, or anything else.