Multiple Notifications/Emails for single workflow

I put together a workflow that sends an email for approval, however whenever the project is approved it email blasts the contact who made the request (sends out like 7 emails/notifications) that all say the same thing. Is there a way to only have it send one? What could be causing this?

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Andrée Starå

Hi Trish,

Can you describe your process in more detail and share screenshots of the Automation? (Delete/replace any confidential/sensitive information before sharing) That would make it easier to help. (share too, andree@getdone.se)

Have a fantastic week!

Best,

Andrée Starå

Workflow Consultant @ Get Done Consulting

smorgan95561

Were you able to resolve this issue? I'm experiencing the same problem - expect the system is sending out upward of 14/15 duplicate email notifications.

Andrée Starå

Hi,

Can you describe your process in more detail and maybe share some screenshots of the automation? (Delete/replace any confidential/sensitive information before sharing) That would make it easier to help.

Have a fantastic day!

Best,

Andrée Starå

Workflow Consultant @ Get Done Consulting

Joseph Rinek

Same issue here. The whole reason I chose to use this program was to convert from paper to automated electronic approvals for manufacturing changes that require multiple simultaneous approvals. Almost 9 months later from the first report of this bug and still not fixed. I spent a lot of time setting up the workflows just to find out that it doesn't work. Duplicate notifications to management who already get a boatload of emails is unacceptable. It also seems to be sending additional duplicate emails from workflows that are completely unrelated and where conditions definitely are not met. I have confirmed this by enabling and disabling the workflow.

Was looking forward to using this tool, but it looks like I may have to abandon it.

I will give you all the details and screenshots you need if you want to help me work through it and it results in an expedited bug fix. I have already sent a message about this very issue to tech support.

Joseph Rinek

Huge thanks to Tory from support for finding the solution to this for me. Hopefully this will help someone else.

In my case I had an update request and an approval request modifying same cell. A manager could change the cell to "Changes Requested" from an update request. Selecting "Decline" from an approval request would also change the cell to "Changes Requested". In both cases, an email update request was sent back to the requester. So when a manager used an update request to change the cell to "Changes Required", it would correctly send an update request back to the requester, but it would also (incorrectly) trigger the update request from a separate approval action to be sent, along with the update request.

Moral of the story is you have to use a different phrase or separate columns if you have approval and update requests changing the same field to the same value. I still consider this a bug, because the software should know the difference between a change generated by an update request or an approval request (even if the resulting cell change value is the same) because they are entirely different actions.

Andrée Starå

@Joseph Rinek

Glad you fond the reason and thanks for sharing!

Have a fantastic week!

Best,

Andrée Starå

Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

Jeffrey Van Schoor

I am having the same problem.

I have created a process to manage our companies leave requests.

The process starts where a staff members fills out a web-form. Selecting what days they want leave.

When a row is then added to the sheet from the data that has been submitted by the form, a workflow is triggered to inform the relevant manager. Each workflow is dependent on the department. The departments selected has a different manager that gets notified.

The manager then approve or decline.

If declined - the person who logged the form must be informed via email.

If approved, HR will get notified and must then approve or decline depending on if there is leave available.

In both cases, the person who logged the request must be notified of the outcome.

I have found even if the person logs the request, and the first approval workflow declines (without having any action to email the staff member) 6 emails are sent to the person who logged the request. This happens also if the workflow is completed and approved.

DeclineWorkflow.png

Multiple emails.png

Andrea Juska

Same issue here as described above by Jeffrey. I have the same scenario for vacation requests. The request goes to the appropriate manager but the employee receives an email notification for all 3 workflows (one for each manager) even though their approval/decline was only performed by their manager.

There is another thread that discusses a solution by making emails dynamic, but I do not understand what they are describing: https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/64846/approval-workflow-sends-incorrect-emails

Arielle Goldstein

I have having the same error as the initial poster as well as Mr. Van Schoor. Has a resolution to this issue been found?

Thank you.

Mike Wachob

I am having the same problem for our "request for travel" sheet. This process requires Director and VP level approval in sequence. The automation is as follows: Trigger: when rows are added, Condition: is in the selected network, Action; approval request submitted to X Director (contact). Once X Director approves, it is sent to the VP for approval, followed by an automated email showing approval or a separate email if travel is disapproved. The approval officials have been inundated with emails (7 or 8 per request). Hoping someone can help me with this.

Thanks!

Mike

Emily Eberle-Levine

Hi Community,

When you build the approval automation, Smartsheet automatically creates a unique column to store the approval decision. If you change that column to something else, and the approval columns and values are re-used across workflows, duplicate alerts may go out. To prevent this, use different approval values or add conditions after each approved or declined request to better clarify. Here's more information about approval workflows: https://help.smartsheet.com/learning-track/smartsheet-intermediate/approval-requests

Cheers,

Emily

Sr. Product Manager, Automated Workflows

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