Date population with dropdown selection

TinkoLP

Hi guys! I'm a newbie trying to learn formulas and can't find an answer to a specific question in the topics.

I'm trying to make "todays" date populate into specific columns when a "status" is changed via a dropdown box. IE, when specific tasks are done and we update the status in Column A, I'd like my sheet to record the date the task was completed in the columns with corresponding names to each status.

Right now I am doing it a bit backwards. I set up automations to change the statuses when the date is entered for that specific status, however, if we complete multiple tasks and enter in the dates simultaneously, the sheet is only picking up the first date that was input. The status only changes if we save each date individually. Not a huge deal, but I know there's a much prettier/smoother way to do this.

Seems simple enough, but I might not be using the correct terminology when I search for information on this. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

I'm including a snippit of the sheet I'm using right now for clarity!

Thanks in advance!!

Screenshot 2024-01-12 221600.png

Julie Fortney

Hi @TinkoLP!

You can create an automation to record the current date in a cell when the status changes. Just use the Record a date action.

Julie Fortney

Hi @TinkoLP!

You can create an automation to record the current date in a cell when the status changes. Just use the Record a date action.

Archie123456

Hi Julie,

Can this be used to back date where a dropdown has been changed?

Julie Fortney

Hi @Archie123456, when you say backdate, are you looking to populate the date that a specific column was changed in the past? The Record a date automation only populates the current date at the time the workflow is triggered.

If you want to provide more detail on what you're looking for, I can let you know if I have any ideas. Would any of these work?

• View Cell History

https://help.smartsheet.com/articles/518314-viewing-cell-history

• Modified Date column

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/84775/timestamp-column-that-will-show-date-last-updated-and-a-entered-date

Archie123456

I want to back date on previous times it has been put in so like it went from dead to in discussion to live so i want to put in all the dates of when those changes happened, then i want to automate it so in the future it will do it by itself

Julie Fortney

Unfortunately there isn't a way to pull the history, other than right-clicking and looking at the cell history in your dropdown column.

Going forward, you can create a column that will record the date the dropdown was last changed using the Record a date workflow. If you want to record the date the dropdown was specifically changed to in discussion and live, you could create two columns with two different Record a date workflows. The workflows would be triggered by the dropdown changing to in discussion for the first column, and live for the second column.