Smartsheet Basics

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Copy Rows Automation

Hello,

I am setting up 2 sheets. One Master Sheet and the other - User Sheet. I am setting a copy row workflow automation so that every day at 5pm rows added to Master sheet are copied to the user sheet. Before i implement and test this, i am wondering:

Will Smartsheet know to copy only rows added that day(masters sheet) to users sheet and do so w/o gaps between the rows in the user sheet?

thank you!

Best Answers

  • Community Champion
    Answer ✓

    Hi @Vuckecucke,

    Yes, what you want to do is possible. However, doing so at 5pm, may cause issues without a way to identify that they have been copied.

    To ensure that items are copied only once, I would add a new helper column that was a checkbox. After the copy action, I would add a change cell value action and change the new helper column for copied rows to checked.

    Adding a condition then to only copy rows that are unchecked as per the image below, completes the loop. This way if for some reason the automation does not run, it would be picked up the next time it runs.

    Hope this helps!

    Thanks,
    John

  • Community Champion
    Answer ✓

    @Vuckecucke

    The empty rows should not be generated using the helper column. However, blank rows may exist, as at some point you have added something into one of the columns in that row. You will need to delete any blank rows in the sheet and then let the automation run, as even if you deleted the content that was once in the row, Smartsheet thinks it is a valid row and will only add new copied rows after. I have had the same issue in the past.

Answers

  • Community Champion
    Answer ✓

    Hi @Vuckecucke,

    Yes, what you want to do is possible. However, doing so at 5pm, may cause issues without a way to identify that they have been copied.

    To ensure that items are copied only once, I would add a new helper column that was a checkbox. After the copy action, I would add a change cell value action and change the new helper column for copied rows to checked.

    Adding a condition then to only copy rows that are unchecked as per the image below, completes the loop. This way if for some reason the automation does not run, it would be picked up the next time it runs.

    Hope this helps!

    Thanks,
    John

  • ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited 01/31/25

    Thank you, this makes me confident that nothing will be missed. As far as the raw gaps, will this ensure that there will be no gaps between the rows day to day in the USer Sheet ?

    thasnk!

  • ✭✭✭✭✭

    to illustrate: day to day, it creates these 6 empty rows between.

  • Community Champion
    Answer ✓

    @Vuckecucke

    The empty rows should not be generated using the helper column. However, blank rows may exist, as at some point you have added something into one of the columns in that row. You will need to delete any blank rows in the sheet and then let the automation run, as even if you deleted the content that was once in the row, Smartsheet thinks it is a valid row and will only add new copied rows after. I have had the same issue in the past.

  • ✭✭✭✭✭

    @John_Foster Hi,

    the helper column really helps!

    not only that it told me which rows are copied to the User Sheet, I can see why it adds those 6 rows to the User Sheet. It started to add the 6 rows to the Master Sheet, and it is because i had formula in those cells. I will convert formulas to column and hopefully it should work. will follow up. thanks!

  • Community Champion

    @Vuckecucke that is great news!

    Fingers crossed it all works for you.

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