Automations and sheets loaded with checkboxes...

degarmod
degarmod ✭✭
edited 01/27/25 in Smartsheet Basics

I have a sheet created that is essentially a line of checkboxes to signal where a lease is at in the process of being created.

The checkboxes are supposed to alert through an automation to the next person in line to do their part of the tasks, but in the automations I keep getting duplicated checkbox notifications of previous alerts (for example, when Lease Worksheet and Floor plan is checked it notifies someone but when the Case Pending Review gets checked, the first notification triggers again, and it does this throughout the entire automation of each checkbox as it goes down the line, which is not what I want to have happen).

Maybe this isn't the best way to do this, and I have tried stacking the conditions on one automation, using a condition path, and having each checkbox alert being its own automation and they still all act the same way. I have a Pro Desk session on Friday but thought maybe someone else has had this type of issue as well and could provide guidance before my session Friday!

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  • Paul Newcome
    Paul Newcome Community Champion
  • Automations are set up like this: I have tried it a few different ways:

    Try 1: conditions and each condition under has the next checkbox checked and would notify the next person.

    Try 2: Same as above, but tried condition paths to see if it would behave differently, it did not.

    Try 3: Workflow for each step of the process with notating that the checkbox is checked, to notify someone. This unfortunately still causes repeat reminders:

  • Paul Newcome
    Paul Newcome Community Champion
    Answer ✓

    Instead of any field changing, set your trigger to when a specific checkbox becomes checked.

  • That should work for any other step of the process, but I need to ensure that the first notification includes the Lease Worksheet AND Floor Plan being created. How can I make sure that it only sends notification when both of those are checked? Will that be where I add my condition that both of those checkboxes are checked and then it sends the notification?

  • So I just tried that, and it did work as expected. Yay! My next question that spans beyond the initial question I have is can we set a reminder if after a week of inactivity on a checkbox being checked that it will send a follow up notification to the person to check on the status?

    I think this would be reliant on the step before it being checked (ie. if Lease to Tenant is checked, and Lease to Lynne isn't checked within a week, notify Marcy that Lease to Lynne isn't checked). I feel like because it is looking for a box to be checked AND is running on a time from when a prior box is checked that it isn't possible.

    As I am typing this (thinking out loud here!) I wonder if there is maybe even a formula to set an auto date from a box being checked and make that row hidden, and then notify when that date is reached on rows, and clear a date field once another box is checked and set another date after that box is checked in another row. If I need to ask that question on another discussion question I can certainly do that since technically my initial question has been answered!

  • Paul Newcome
    Paul Newcome Community Champion
    Answer ✓

    I would use a single date type column and a Record a Date automation. Record the date each time a box becomes checked then set up your Reminder(s) to run daily with a condition of that date being at least 7 days in the past.