Reminder Automation - Help Needed

KevinHarrisCHT

Am I overthinking this? I have a sheet set up to send out a notification when someone is assigned to a row. I am looking to also send a follow up reminder after 5 days if the assignee has not taken any action. However, both the notification automated email and the reminder automated email are sending at the same time. Any ideas why that is?

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Dan Beres

Hi @KevinHarrisCHT

I am assuming the image linked is supposed to be the automation that notifies them as a follow up.

The way this is formatted now it will send if the row was created OR updated and the status is "Pending Approval," which I assume may be a default for you. Once the row is added or changed, it won't trigger or check for these conditions again until the row is updated. A way to adjust this would be to change it to:

Trigger: When a date is reached
[Run once] [5 days after]
Date Field: [Created On]

Condition:
Where [Reviewer Approval Date] [is blank]

Request an update:
… <This is fine as is>

I formatted it like this so that it won't even check anything until 5 days after the row was created, assuming that is a default Created On Date column. If they updated it and the Reviewer Approval Date has something in it, it will ignore the condition and won't send an update.

I do find it interesting though that it is seemingly ignoring the Created On condition, unless you are assigning the row after it has been created > 5 days. If that is the case, you may need a helper column to account for that.

If you are creating a task and then assigning it much later I would recommend something along the lines of the following:

Trigger: When a date is reached
[Run once] [5 days after]
Date Field: [Modified Date]

Condition:
Where [Reviewer Approval Date] [is blank]
and Where [Assigned To] [is not blank]
and Where [Status] is [Pending Approval]

This would mean that 5 days after assigning someone, if they don't have an approval date in there and the Status is still pending approval, then it would trigger. If this is still having the same issue let me know!

Dan Beres

Hi @KevinHarrisCHT

I am assuming the image linked is supposed to be the automation that notifies them as a follow up.

The way this is formatted now it will send if the row was created OR updated and the status is "Pending Approval," which I assume may be a default for you. Once the row is added or changed, it won't trigger or check for these conditions again until the row is updated. A way to adjust this would be to change it to:

Trigger: When a date is reached
[Run once] [5 days after]
Date Field: [Created On]

Condition:
Where [Reviewer Approval Date] [is blank]

Request an update:
… <This is fine as is>

I formatted it like this so that it won't even check anything until 5 days after the row was created, assuming that is a default Created On Date column. If they updated it and the Reviewer Approval Date has something in it, it will ignore the condition and won't send an update.

I do find it interesting though that it is seemingly ignoring the Created On condition, unless you are assigning the row after it has been created > 5 days. If that is the case, you may need a helper column to account for that.

If you are creating a task and then assigning it much later I would recommend something along the lines of the following:

Trigger: When a date is reached
[Run once] [5 days after]
Date Field: [Modified Date]

Condition:
Where [Reviewer Approval Date] [is blank]
and Where [Assigned To] [is not blank]
and Where [Status] is [Pending Approval]

This would mean that 5 days after assigning someone, if they don't have an approval date in there and the Status is still pending approval, then it would trigger. If this is still having the same issue let me know!

KevinHarrisCHT

Hi @Dan Beres ,

This is great! Thank you so much. Really appreciate your insight on this one.

Enjoy the weekend!