Can you get access stats to a specific attachment?

VictoriaD

A team I am working with is looking to create a repository of documents which will be shared across our business. This will either be in a dynamic view or a sheet for searchability.

I am exploring the Activity Log and see Attachments as a filter- however, We would like to see how frequently a specific attachment is viewed.

Is this possible?

jmyzk_cloudsmart_jp

Hi @VictoriaD

To answer your question, there are two primary methods to track access statistics for a specific attachment in Smartsheet: using the Activity Log and considering the Smartsheet API's Event Reporting feature. However, the Event Reporting approach may not provide the desired results due to certain limitations.

Part 1: Using the Activity Log

The Activity Log in Smartsheet can be filtered to show attachment-related actions. When an attachment is viewed, it is typically marked as "Downloaded" in the log. Here's how you can use the Activity Log to determine how frequently a specific attachment is accessed:

https://app.smartsheet.com/b/publish?EQBCT=4dea7c3772aa476c9cc2b755b75f831a (Link to the published editable demo sheet that imported activity log data)

1. Download the Activity Log:
   • Go to the Smartsheet where the attachment is located.
   • Open the Activity Log, filter by "Attachments," and export it as a CSV file.
2. Upload and Analyze the Log in Smartsheet:

• Upload the CSV file back to Smartsheet for easy analysis.
  • Use the following formula to count the number of times a specific file (e.g., "File 1") has been downloaded:
    • =COUNTIFS([Details from Next Row]:[Details from Next Row], CONTAINS("File 1", @cell), Action:Action, CONTAINS("Downloaded", @cell))
  • To check access by a specific user, use this formula:
    • =COUNTIFS([Details from Next Row]:[Details from Next Row], CONTAINS([File 1]#, @cell), Action:Action, CONTAINS("Downloaded", @cell), User:User, User#)
  • Since the "Details" row is next to the main event data row in the log CSV, use the following formula to get the next row of details:
    • =JOIN(COLLECT(Details:Details, [Row ID]:[Row ID], [Row ID]@row + 1))
  • Limitation: If the attachment is a link (e.g., a link to a file on Google Drive), the Activity Log will only show "Sheet View," not that the link was accessed.

Part 2: Considering the Smartsheet API's Event Object

Initially, we considered using the Smartsheet API's Event Reporting feature to track access statistics, specifically using the "ATTACHMENT-LOAD" event. However, this approach has significant limitations:

• Limitations with Event Reporting:
  • When a single attachment is viewed or downloaded, the "ATTACHMENT-LOAD" event does not include the attachment name. This information is only available in the "ATTACHMENT-CREATE" event or through a separate query to the Smartsheet API using the attachment ID.
  • As a result, it is not possible to directly count the number of times a specific attachment has been accessed using the "ATTACHMENT-LOAD" event data. You would need to match events manually with the attachment details, which is impractical for frequent or large-scale access tracking.
• Additional Limitation: Event Reporting is a premium add-on that is available only to Enterprise and Advanced Platinum plan users.

Conclusion:

Given these limitations, the most feasible method to track the access statistics of a specific attachment is to use the Activity Log, as described in Part 1. While the Smartsheet API's Event Reporting feature was considered, it does not currently provide a straightforward way to count specific attachment accesses.

VictoriaD

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/comment/453006#Comment_453006

This is what I was thinking. I didn't realize views were counted as downloads- that's great news! I thought views just weren't tracked.

Thank you so much!

jmyzk_cloudsmart_jp

Happy to help!😁