Automations Are Not Triggering

I created a new automation on an existing sheet and it is not triggering. To test, I created a new simpler sheet (4 columns) and created an automation using the templates. The only think I changed was the person to notify (adding my email).

The simplified test sheet and automation also did not trigger. If I manually trigger the automation it works.

Attached are screen shots of my table and automation for the simplified sheet.

Table.jpg

Automation.jpg

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Accepted answers

mattstoc

Well - it was user error (no surprise there).

There is a options in your personal settings to include you on changes that you made to a sheet. You have to opt in to receive those notifications. Below is the screenshot of that setting (shown in red).

Thanks to all for the review and assistance.

All comments

Darla Brown

Hi,

Is your name column a contact column? I can't determine from your screenshot. The automation will not work without the actual email to send it to.

mattstoc

Thanks Darla. The automation alert is sent to a specific user (me) and I am the creator of the sheet. Automations give the ability to notify a specific person or a name from from a contact column. I chose alert specific person. Also it works when I manually trigger from the test option. I have included two new pics: 1) The two alert options 2) My full automation rule for the simplified.

I really appreciate the assistance - it is driving me crazy

Alert Options.jpg

My full Automation.jpg

Darla Brown

AH! You are correct. Sorry, I missed the part where your action was to a specific person.

To clarify, you are modifying items, adding rows, etc. Then, after saving the sheet and even after a while, no alert is received?

mattstoc

Darla - correct on all points of clarification.

I have waited 15 minutes on the latest changes. After your first comment, I created a contacts field (Email Contact) and created a 2nd automation (now I have two active automations). This 2nd one I created manually (rather than from a template), and had it alert a contact from a field. No luck.

This simplified sheet is what I created because my "real" sheet was not working. But even that "real" sheet is pretty basic. That trigger has NOT worked since changes made this morning (about 4 hours ago). I am wondering if something is broken in Smartsheet or my configuration.

Darla Brown

It is a very simple, easy automation. Probably one of the most basic lol

When rows are added or changed,
trigger immediately
and notify a specific person.

The only thing I could think of is that in the top section of the full automation, you have a list of criteria. Is it looking for all of those conditions or just if one happens?

mattstoc

More data - I have automations from older sheets (a PTO request sheet). I tried that sheet, made a new request and it properly triggered and executed the automation.

Makes me wonder if there is a limit on automations.

Darla Brown

I have a sheet with over 50 automations, so don't think that's the issue. Did you receive my response above regarding your criteria?

mattstoc

I had missed that. But just went and checked. That all looks good to me. I THINK it may be on my email side of things. I just modified one of the "not working" automations to send the notice to my personal email and that appears to have worked. I am going to confirm, then dig deeper.

But even that does not make 100% because it sends to my work account when I test the automation.

More to come in a bit

mattstoc

I've given up and submitted a ticket to Smartsheet. Something is wrong. I get the alert message sent to my personal email, so I know the automation is triggering and the alert goes out. I would suspect our spam filter on our mail server, but I am not getting a notification on the "Notifications" section of my Smartsheet home screen.

mattstoc

Well - it was user error (no surprise there).

Thanks to all for the review and assistance.

Darla Brown

Interesting! Thanks for the update and glad you found it!

Dawn Johnson

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/comment/481454#Comment_481454

This has to be new, right? I have sheets with automation that were working just fine until about a week ago, then suddenly, I was not receiving any automation that I created on my own sheets. I opened a case and they were unable to help. Thanks so much for this, I hope this is the issue I have.

mattstoc

Dawn - I am not sure. I am a bit confused because I have older ones that seem to work, but others that don't. I have a notification that goes out to my company based on date and time (reminder to make updates to sales forecast) - I get that one. Then there are some that send when a field changes - that is where it gets interesting. Then to compound the trouble, my IT team updates the spam rules about every day. I know some got stopped there. The change in the picture above is easy to make and test. I also suggest adding an external email address to the notfication (I used my gmail). then you know if the thing is triggering properly.

Darla Brown

@mattstoc Make sure your IT marks the Smartsheet domain safe. This "should" help with the spam. I say should because we know this isn't always the case :)

Vivien Chong

Interesting. So, sometimes when we doesn't seem to be receiving the notifications, we should check our Sheet Change notification setting. 😁. Learn something today!

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