Send Smartsheet-Generated PDF Automatically to Email in Sheet, without a link to the sheet itself

NeilKY

Goal: Let any user in our city request a pre-filled application.

Steps We Want:

1. User fills out Smartsheet form
2. Smartsheet automation merges form fields into PDF and attaches PDF to sheet row
3. Smartsheet automation emails the generated PDF to the Applicant
4. Applicant Prints and gets the document notarized
5. Applicant emails it back to us.

It looked simple enough so created the form and the pdf and merge fields. Then when testing, I realized a couple of catches. Automated emails from Smartsheet only gives you three choices:

A) link to the Sheet and all fields (NO THANK YOU)

B) Link to the Sheet and the Attachment/Fields

C) Message Only.

Option B was the closest to what I need but it, of course, links to the sheet so then the Civilians are going to be clicking on that link and getting a "Request Access to this sheet" warning everywhere. This does not work for us. They would get lost and not realize the attachment is at the bottom of the email and THEY DON'T NEED TO VISIT SMARSHEET. I need either just the attachment or just the link to the publicly accessible file automatically sent to the user.

MY QUESTIONS:

1. Is there a way to choose "Message Only" and use {{}} to reference the attachment?
   1. I already know that with option B you select "an attachment" to include the attachment. but I'm looking for the "Message only" equivalent to that so I don't have to link the sheet in the email to the user.
2. Is there a way to use a formula to automatically reference the URL of the first attached document on each row?
   1. This would be an acceptable workaround as I could send them a link to the file.

kowal

hi @NeilKY,

The bad news is that to both of your question the answer is "no". At leaset out of the box.

Once I was building a solution using zapier to copy attachments from Smartsheet rows to GDRIVE folder.. it was struggle and I know that smartsheets keep their attachments pretty secure on amazon cloud. So it's possible to get the attachments out but needs 3rd party apps.

If you have Bridge it could be possible with bridge to get the attachments links in the messages you are sending or you can use another API - but unfortunately basic smartsheet solutions will not help.

I assume you are not interested in e-signature using docusgin to go to the notar directly? Then the generated file is going to docusign directly and docusign sends the file internally for signature so no access to sheet is needed.

Another option is to use Request for Update insted of notification. One of my solutions for Document Builder and Signature was created this way that if ink singature was needed we sent the Request for Update with Generated Document and in the same request there was option to upload the file… so the person could print it / sign it/ scan it and upload in the same row.

Hope this helps.