Error: Unable to Add Rows – Destination Sheet Lacks Sufficient Cells

System

This discussion was created from comments split from: Rows could not be added to the destination sheet because it did not have enough cells remaining.

Lindsay AR

@Sachiko Kagami If just using Smartsheet automations, you can do this with use of multiple sheets and defined business rules. Use those rules to create workflows to move the data around (i.e. when status is complete, when has been completed for > than 60 days, everyday at a certain time move rows over a certain age, etc.). When using this option, I try to think in the future to accommodate for a few years.

If you are using 3rd party automations (Zapier, n8n, etc.) you can delete rows that are no longer necessary or move them to a storage outside of Smartsheet.

Georgie

Hi @Sachiko Kagami,

It sounds like you understood the reason provided on the original thread, but for visibility on this thread, this error is presented when moving the rows to your destination sheet would take it over current sheet size limits (500,000 cells). More information on sheet size limits can be found here.

There are several options for managing this, as follows:

• Create a new destination sheet and update your existing automation to move rows to that sheet.
• Delete older rows from the destination sheet.
• Create a new ‘archive’ sheet and move older rows from the destination sheet to that sheet - you could add a Created Date column to your destination sheet if it doesn’t already have one and then use a copy rows automation with the condition block set to “Where Created Date is not in the last (...) days”, so that all rows older than the desired time period automatically move to the archive sheet.

Hope that helps!

Georgie

Hollie Green

Most people set up contingency sheets that their archive sheet has an automation set up when it reaches so many rows it will then transfer those over to the other sheet leaving room on the archive sheet for new rows of data

Sachiko Kagami

Hi I received the same error message and an automation became invalid. I understood a reason with the above answer. And I'm looking for the best way to manage it.

Lindsay AR

@Sachiko Kagami If just using Smartsheet automations, you can do this with use of multiple sheets and defined business rules. Use those rules to create workflows to move the data around (i.e. when status is complete, when has been completed for > than 60 days, everyday at a certain time move rows over a certain age, etc.). When using this option, I try to think in the future to accommodate for a few years.

If you are using 3rd party automations (Zapier, n8n, etc.) you can delete rows that are no longer necessary or move them to a storage outside of Smartsheet.

Georgie

Hi @Sachiko Kagami,

It sounds like you understood the reason provided on the original thread, but for visibility on this thread, this error is presented when moving the rows to your destination sheet would take it over current sheet size limits (500,000 cells). More information on sheet size limits can be found here.

There are several options for managing this, as follows:

• Create a new destination sheet and update your existing automation to move rows to that sheet.
• Delete older rows from the destination sheet.
• Create a new ‘archive’ sheet and move older rows from the destination sheet to that sheet - you could add a Created Date column to your destination sheet if it doesn’t already have one and then use a copy rows automation with the condition block set to “Where Created Date is not in the last (...) days”, so that all rows older than the desired time period automatically move to the archive sheet.

Hope that helps!

Georgie

Hollie Green

Most people set up contingency sheets that their archive sheet has an automation set up when it reaches so many rows it will then transfer those over to the other sheet leaving room on the archive sheet for new rows of data

Sachiko Kagami

@Lindsay AR Hi Lindsay, Thank you for your advice. I'll discuss the best way to handle it with the users.

Sachiko Kagami

@Georgie Hi Georgie, Thank you for your advice and providing me with multiple options. I'll discuss which would fit with the users.