Sending form attachments to their own smartsheet or google drive folder

Jacknovo

Hi everyone,

We're currently trying to create a system that accepts form entries with attachments and stores those attachments in their own folder as soon as they are submitted. Preferrably, we would like this folder to update in real time and remove any attachments that are replaced when the same user uploads a different file on the same form, but we're taking baby steps here. Is there any way to accomplish this? The API looks a bit like it might hold my solution but I'm not entirely sure how to use it. Thanks!

Andrée Starå

Hi Jack,

How would you use it? There might be another solution.

Can you describe your process in more detail That would make it easier to help?

Have a fantastic day!

Best,

Andrée Starå

Workflow Consultant @ Get Done Consulting

Jacknovo

Essentially, this is how we want the process to go:

 

1. User submits an attachment via the form we've created.

2. The form responses and attachment are sent to the smartsheet spreadsheet, as designed.

3. JUST the attachment from the form is sent to a separate external folder (be it google drive or a smartsheet folder) that is updated in real time. Essentially this folder is linked to the spreadsheet.

4. Whenever a user edits their form response, the original file is deleted and the newly uploaded file replaces it.

Jacknovo

Does there seem to be any kind of system in place that would allow for this?

Andrée Starå

My initial idea is that it might be possible with a third-party service called Zapier.

Is that an option?

Jacknovo

That would be great but it doesn't look like the files from the smartsheet are able to transfer over via Zapier. Any idea how that could work?

Andrée Starå

Unfortunately, It doesn't seem like it would work with Zapier. The two solutions I can see now would be to either use the API or a third-party form service.

Would that work?

Corrina Hansen

I’m looking for the same functionality. Did you ever find a solution?

JeremiahHorstick

Hey Guys. I've done this with the API.

A webhook triggers copying the file to Google drive.

Jason Mobley

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/comment/276124#Comment_276124

Jeremiah,

Do you have any sample API you can share so we can see how the functionality works instead of creating this from scratch?

JeremiahHorstick

Hi @Jason Mobley. What do we want to do exactly?

Implement a service that uses the webbook triggering the copying of Smartsheet attachments to Google Drive?

This is a special call to the Smartsheet API because it is considered as 10 API calls to download a file. The API limit is 300 calls /minute meaning for 1 account token we can access 30 documents per minute.

https://smartsheet.redoc.ly/#operation/attachments-get

We use a google "service worker" account so that we can maintain a high level of security with applications that involve Google Drive.

The service worker account allows us to perform google operations without requesting read/write access to the user's entire google drive account, instead creating a new Google drive directory and sharing it with the user(s).

Not sure exactly what the objective is, but I though I'd share these two significant details.

Please elaborate on what you're looking to do.

Each solution relies on other modules that we built such as Smartsheet Auth, a webhook service, Google Auth, etc...., and is specific to our distributed micro-service architecture and server environments.

-Jeremiah

Jason Mobley

Jeremiah,

I have built a smartsheet so that users who want something printed on a 3D printer can request the job. On the smartsheet form they can attach a file to be printed. I want a webhook to take the file and copy it over to a specific Google Drive folder by the JobID that is auto-generated on the smartsheet. This way it takes the manual process of filing the attachments. I would also like to use a google service account similar to what you are saying. We don't have a large volume so 300 calls/minute is more than enough.

Thanks,

Jason

smartsheetdev.io

HI @Jason Mobley

I see two options here:

1. Build a custom solution
2. Use Zapier

DebraS

@Jacknovo did you ever arrive at a solution? I've attempted the Zapier set-up (considering the timing of this thread) and found out that the functionality Smartsheet to Google Drive can send a .txt file but not the actual file.