How do I set SmartSheet to include attachments on the emails that it sends from automation?

Sean Bernardino

How did you get this to work? I check "An Attachment", but I still don't see the attachment in the email. The email trigger works and recipients (including myself) get the email -- it just doesn't include the attachment.

Andrée Starå

Hi @Sean Bernardino

Do you see the attachment field/column in the email?

I hope that helps!

Be safe and have a fantastic week!

Best,

Andrée Starå

Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

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Sean Bernardino

Hi @Andrée Starå ,

Unfortunately, no. I do not see the Attachment field/column in the email. I know I've turned it on in the automated workflow by going to the advanced options, but the attachment doesn't show up in the automated email that was generated. The automated email includes all the other fields, just not the attachment.

Could this be because the workflow is step 4 of a multi-step automation and for the step 4 to include the attachment, it must receive it from step 3? I'm just guessing. My workflow structure is as follows:

1. Manager submits invoice approval request (and attaches PDF invoice)
2. Workflow determines invoice amount and sends email to approving authority based on their approval limits
3. Approving authority receives email and can set status to approved by viewing attached PDF
4. Workflow sends email to Finance department for processing (which should include attached PDF invoice)

Any help is appreciated.

Thank you.

Sean

Andrée Starå

@Sean Bernardino

If I'm not mistaken, the attachment is only included in an alert if the alert is set to trigger by the attachment. In any other scenario, you'd have to use an Update Request instead.

Make sense?

Amber LaPoint

*** EDIT ***

I changed my trigger to be when an attachment is added and it worked. So, the other triggers won't include the attachment. Will there be an update to this?

******* Original Post *******

I am experiencing this issue. I have an alert set up to send myself the "pdf" that is attached to a row. This is a test to make sure the process works and it isn't working. I get a row 1 that is blank and a link to the smartsheet.

I am hoping to alert our creative team of a request and have a more formal report by using the generate reports process. Once the PDF is attached to the row, then I check a checkbox that triggers the send to our creative team.

All other fields come through, just not the PDF. I did the advanced setting and checked the attachment option.

Help!

Thanks

Amber

Andrée Starå

Hi @Amber LaPoint

Are you triggering the alert from adding the attachment?

Be safe and have a fantastic week!

Best,

Andrée Starå

Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

✅Did my post(s) help or answer your question or solve your problem? Please help the Community by marking it as the accepted answer/helpful. It will make it easier for others to find a solution or help to answer!

Johannes Schlatter

Hello Andree

I have the same issue and try to get a single point contact for a PM to enter a request for approval for labor and attach files at that time detailing the work to be done. Attaching the files to the row. Ones I approve and 1 day prior to assignment start date my workflow should send the e-mail with attachments. It is to cumbersome for PM's dealing with multiple projects at the same time to have to go back attache files and send a note to the field person assigned. So the attachment is not a valid trigger it must be date and approval. Same as if one sends a update on a line manually. Any help would be greatly appreciated this is a critical improvement part for us and a key functionality we need as as it seems also Amber would benefit from.

Regards

Johannes M Schlatter

MarkOne / SrPM

Sarah_lee123

I am also having this issue. My goal is to set an automation that is triggered by a check box. At this point the automation would send the automated email message along with the columns selected AND all of the attachments that are attached to the line item.

Currently none of the attachments get sent, even though I have that selected in the customized alert section. I read in an above comment that maybe only one attachment will send in an automation. When I get this attachment thing to work at all, should I make a zip file to hold all of my attachments so that I can get multiples to the client at one time?

Thanks for your help!

Andrée Starå

@Johannes Schlatter

Apologies, I missed your answer.

You'll have to either trigger it by adding the attachment or use the Approval or Update Request automation to include the attachments.

Would that work?

Andrée Starå

@Sarah_lee123

You'll have to either trigger it by adding the attachment or use the Approval or Update Request automation to include the attachments.

Would that work?

Sarah_lee123

@Andrée Starå @Amber LaPoint @Johannes Schlatter @Sean Bernardino @Elizabeth Hernandez @Felicia Wilson 

Hello All,

I escalated my question to smartsheets support and they responded with this following nugget of information which solved my problem. Hopefully it can help you guys better understand how this is applied to you.

Begin Smartsheet:

"This is common behavior of the Alert Automation. Attachments are only included in the emails received from an Automated Alert Workflow in the following instances:

• They are added at the same time as the criteria that triggers the Automated Workflow to send the Alert
• They are the reason the Automated Workflow is triggered to send the Alert.

If the attachments were already on the row prior to the Automated Workflow being triggered to send the Alert, they will not be included in the email received by your recipient.

The best way around this limitation is to create a different Workflow altogether. If you create an Automated Update Request Workflow, all attachments will be included in the Update Request form. If you do not want your recipients to be able to make changes to the sheet, you can lock the columns that are sent in the Update Request fields. "

End Smartsheet

I tried it and it works when I set it to have the attachment trigger the workflow, but I find this to be dangerous in case someone isn't aware that they are triggering something by adding an attachment. What works best for me is to use a click button. I add the attachment, them immediately click the box after the file is uploaded. This triggered my workflow and brought the attachment with it. I did, however, use a zip file to keep all documents inside to make sure everything went along in the flow. I am not sure how it works with multiple separate unzipped files.

Best,

Sarah

Andrée Starå

@Sarah_lee123

That is an excellent workaround.

Thanks for sharing!

Kimberly Slavsky

I tried that work around and it didn't add the attachment to the workflow when does as an update request. If there are any other work arounds, that would be great to know! I am going to contact the Smartsheet team as well.

Thanks!

S_Karkhoff

I'm having this issue as well, there are instances where I'd like to include all attachments, and others where I only want to include the attachment that triggers the notification.

My scenario is that I have a sheet where team members submit payment and invoice requests through a form. For payment requests, the vendor invoice is required and collected on the form. From there, they are required by accounting to also submit a payment request form (previously a word document, but currently trying to utilize document builder), which would ideally be submitted to Accounting, along with the vendor invoice. Accounting has a requirement that these be sent via email and include all attachements (i.e. request form and corresponding invoices)

The document builder file and the vendor invoice are added at different times, so won't appear in the notification together. Any ideas? I don't think they'll go for an update request, as they want the actual email with the attachment. (Any help or ideas on how to persuade them to learn/adopt smartsheet would also be welcomed!)

Aneesah Serrano

Any reason why I might not be seeing the "Advanced Options" option?