How do I automate notifications for repeated values within a column?

Frank_A

Hello - I need to track ticket quantity and would like to setup some kind of notification when certain numbers are repeated more than three times in the employee number column. I've been searching for answers, but have not been able to yet identify a solution that works.

Is there some way I can create an alert if say employee number 111111 is entered into the employee number column three times?

Kerry St. Thomas

The way I've solved stuff like this is to evaluate YES/NO to "Should this row be part of an automation I want to fire off every day?" That way you only have to solve for one thing - YES/NO - instead of the millions of possible permutations to the employee number. What I'd do is add a checkbox column, and make it a column formula that'll check the box if the number is there three or more times.

=IF(COUNTIF([Employee Number]:[Employee Number],[Employee Number]@row)>2,1,0)

Next I'd hang an automation off that checkbox column - Trigger = When A Date Is Reached and set up a regular cadence (daily?), Condition = Checkbox is checked, Action send an Alert Automation that Employee {{Employee Number}}} is being repeated in the sheet.

This is going to send multiple versions of the row in your automation if you do it this way. You can get more complex on the formula (e.g. use a row Autonumber and only check the row with the smallest Row Number - I encourage you to investigate COLLECT and MIN functions for more on this) or distill it through Pivot App to only show those items with boxes checked to deduplicate. But this should at least send you down the path of discovery. 😀

Kerry St. Thomas

The way I've solved stuff like this is to evaluate YES/NO to "Should this row be part of an automation I want to fire off every day?" That way you only have to solve for one thing - YES/NO - instead of the millions of possible permutations to the employee number. What I'd do is add a checkbox column, and make it a column formula that'll check the box if the number is there three or more times.

=IF(COUNTIF([Employee Number]:[Employee Number],[Employee Number]@row)>2,1,0)

Next I'd hang an automation off that checkbox column - Trigger = When A Date Is Reached and set up a regular cadence (daily?), Condition = Checkbox is checked, Action send an Alert Automation that Employee {{Employee Number}}} is being repeated in the sheet.

This is going to send multiple versions of the row in your automation if you do it this way. You can get more complex on the formula (e.g. use a row Autonumber and only check the row with the smallest Row Number - I encourage you to investigate COLLECT and MIN functions for more on this) or distill it through Pivot App to only show those items with boxes checked to deduplicate. But this should at least send you down the path of discovery. 😀

Frank_A

Thank you so much Kerry! :)