How to set comment automatically sent to email?

Vaynard

Any one know if we can set auto email comments, instead of manually email comment? Thanks in advanced! 

Shaine Greenwood

Hello Vaynard,

You can create an automatic notification based on changes in the comments column. This will send an email out to shared users, specific people, or people in a contact column (whichever you prefer). 

The key is to make sure that the notification is triggered based off of a change in the comments column; otherwise the new comments won't appear in the notification email.

More information on automatic notifications is available in our help center: https://help.smartsheet.com/articles/542904-using-notifications

Vaynard

Thanks Shaine, our team tried that but sorry I should've been clearer about the condition we are trying to get around. 

We want automatic notification for "comment" , without even the row gets updated or added, is that possible? So the row data stays the same, but comments are added. We want to use the comment features as feedback/input for the content of that row. 

it seems like the tool doesn't allow us to do so (screenshot attached) or maybe we are doing it wrong? 

 

Vaynard

Actually, even with "when anything on the sheet changes" notify XYZ (emails), "right away". It didn't work. 

changes to the sheet --> save --> no notification.  

 

 

 

Shaine Greenwood

Hi Vaynard,

Make sure you're set up to receive notifications on your own changes: https://help.smartsheet.com/articles/2476551-configure-how-smartsheet-notifies-you

IMPORTANT: Comment text will only appear in the email if a new comment has been added/changed.

For example, if you change a cell on a row that has comments, but don't add or edit comments themselves, you won't see the comment text in the notification email.

Shaine Greenwood

Try this:

1. When you create a new notification, select "when there are changes in specific columns" (second dropdown in the new rule form).
2. Once you get to the Edit rule form, use the dropdown to set the column to Comments.

 

Vaynard

It works! yay, but there's a bit of delay (2-5) min. Thanks again Shaine!

Mike Rini

i was able to setup the automated notification, but when the alert comes in, it's showing the comment message as blank. do you have tag someone for the comment to show?? i get the email, but the comment box is blank.

Paul Newcome

Try skipping the automation and just @mention the person(s) you are trying to notify.

Mike Rini

thanks, but i'm trying to avoid adding the person to the smartsheet - i'd just like to be able to send them a note via the sheet to tell them if something's wrong, and what they need to do to fix it

Paul Newcome

By "what they need to do to fix it", I assume you mean they don't need to change anything on the sheet? The "fix" is something other than the sheet itself?

Mike Rini

yeah, sorry. to be more clear - we'd like people to not be able to edit the sheet - since it seems like there's no way to either a) have them only view/edit their row, or b) have them only edit their row. so it would just be a way for us to communicate something out to them in a quick comment, and track the life cycle of the task. if there's a way to do either a) or b) - that'd be awesome.

Paul Newcome

Have you looked into Update Requests and placeholders?

Andrée Starå

Hi Mike,

I agree with Paul and think that update requests would work perfectly for your use-case, and possibly you could use it to let them update with information like when the task is done.

More info: 

https://help.smartsheet.com/articles/2477796-dynamically-add-cell-data-in-the-subject-and-body-of-request-messages

https://help.smartsheet.com/learning-track/smartsheet-intermediate/update-requests

I hope that helps!

Have a fantastic week!

Best,

Andrée Starå

Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD