Auto sort new rows

Meenakshi Sundaram S

Hi,

 

Is there a way to auto-sort new rows based on the existing sort criteria?

Darrin Eisenbarth

Sounds like you may be using a web form to add new rows to a sheet. There is some formatting that Smartsheet assumes and will follow based on patterns once you have a few rows in the sheet - like formulas. However, sorting is not something that "sticks" in a sheet. Any reports you create to view your sheet will maintain the sort order you've applied even as items change or are added.

What i've done is create a "master task sheet" which hosts the web form and then a report that sorts and or filters the task as desired.. so I may have an Active report that filters out completed tasks and an Overdue report that filters for tasks that are not complete and the finish date is before today.

Hope this helps.. by the way, if you are sharing your reports you have to share the sheet or sheets the report is based on as well.

Meenakshi Sundaram S

Thanks Darrin. Ours is individual sheets updated by individual users - not web forms. Automating the sort option will uave an extra step, that's all!

 

On a different note - when you use a web form, it's only to insert new rows of data and not edit the existing rows..right? That's one of the reasons that never worked for us as we need to update the existing rows on a periodic basis. May be I'm missing something here?

Darrin Eisenbarth

That's correct - web forms are for adding data to the sheet - not editing data. What makes them valuable (which doesn't sound like this applies here), the submitter of the form doesn't have to login to Smartsheet or have permissions to the sheet to submit data via the form.

Update requests send a form via email that does allow the recipient to edit the data - again without having to login to Smartsheet or have permissions to the sheet.

There are a couple things that may assist when you need to periodically update the existing rows..

 - if there is a condition that you can identify for when the rows need updating, you could send alerts to be reminded

 - similarly, you could use a report to show only those rows that need updating - provided there's a condition you can identify

 - if the periodic updates are actually monthly, quarterly or some set period - you can schedule "Send Update Requests"

 

Regards.

Shaine Greenwood

Hi All—Just to respond to the initial question: there isn't a way to have a continuous sort that will automatically sort new rows that enter the sheet. The sort will need to be applied again as the sheet is updated.

 

We've had a few requests for this, and I'll add your vote for this type of feature to our enhancement request list for review by our Product team.

Meenakshi Sundaram S

Thank you Darrin for your valuable suggestions. Sending conditional update reminders sounds like a great idea. I'll give it a shot.

 

Thanks Sharine for adding an upvote for this request.

Melanie Patrick

Adding my vote to have a continuous sort that will automatically sort new rows that enter the sheet. I have a shared sheet that's got both filters and sorts and having to reset both each time a new record is added is not an optimal experience.

Peter Bryn

Please add my vote. This is another one of those extremely-basic features I'm shocked isn't included. PLEASE add this ASAP. As well as the ability to sort IN FILTERS. Tks.

Craig Burch

Please add me to list of those who would find this feature very useful. Has there been any movement on getting it implemented?

Shaine Greenwood

Hi Melanie, Peter, and Craig—

 

I've got your votes down for this as well.

 

Peter—I've got your vote for the ability to sort a filtered sheet as well.

Bill Stadler

Please add my vote!

Shaine Greenwood

Hi Bill—

 

Got your vote down. Thanks for the input!

Justin Bastin

For the love of all that is good and pure....add my vote! 

Shaine Greenwood

@justin—got your vote down!

Rob K

Please add my vote for this

Matthew Harrison

Please add my vote for the continuous sort.

 

All my users are using reports, which auto sort so no issue. However, on my "master" sheet I have some INDEX formulas which look at the top 25 rows. As new rows are added I have to keep sorting my sheet to ensure the INDEX formula is still picking up the required information within the top 25 rows.