Can the smartsheet hyperlink be omitted from emails?

Pam Grant

I waste a lot of time letting people know they can't have access to a smartsheet after they receive an automated email from a sheet they are not shared to. Is there any way to remove the smartsheet hyperlink from emails?

I also learned the hard way that if I just reply to the email request for access with a "no, sorry, you can't see the whole smartsheet" that automatically gives them access!

Genevieve P.

Hi @Pam Grant,

We recently released an update where you can now choose to only send the message from your automated alert without providing a link to the source sheet in the email. Our Release Notes page has more information, see here!

Cheers,

Genevieve

Andrée Starå

Hi Pam,

Unfortunately, it's not possible at the moment, but it's an excellent idea!

Please submit an Enhancement Request when you have a moment

As a possible workaround, you could add a default text informing them not to click on it or similar. I do this in my client solutions.

Would that work/help?

I hope that helps!

Be safe and have a fantastic week!

Best,

Andrée Starå

Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

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Pam Grant

Thanks, @Andrée Starå

I will open an enhancement request.

I put that disclaimer not to click on the link in my automation emails but I also find the custom text is so small compared to the size of the standard smartsheet information that people seem to bypass it. Any tips about writing custom text so people see it?

Paul Newcome

If your trigger is set to "Right Away", you can use placeholders to include the relevant data in the custom text and not include any of the columns in the Advanced Settings of the Automation.

This will move the relevant sheet data into the custom text portion which will ensure everything is of the same font, etc. and your message about not clicking is less likely to get missed.

Andrée Starå

Excellent!

Happy to help!

How are you message triggered? Are you using placeholders?

We could use placeholders to make the text more noticeable and possibly also remove almost all the "rows" at the bottom.

What do you think?

Pam Grant

By "placeholders" do you mean using curly brackets; {{column name}}? I do use these regularly in both the subject and the body of the my automated message to others.

Here is an example of the size of custom text vs. default content (note, this is a message to myself so it is not very detailed) I find the big blue hyperlink to the smartsheet draws the eye away from the small black text right below the banner.

Paul Newcome

Yes. The {{Curly Brackets}} are what I mean when I say placeholders. I agree that the link itself definitely detracts from the text immediately beneath the banner.

You can use line breaks and placeholders to kind of "bulk up" that section though so it lakes up more lines/space and is a little less likely to be missed.

The placeholders also mean that you can remove the row data from the bottom of the email so that people HAVE to read the text below the banner to find out why they are getting the email.

Pam Grant

Thanks. I will bulk up my message with more information.

Removing row data from the bottom of the email will work for Alerts. I would still need them for Update Requests because these are the fields I want the receiver to update, correct? Is there a way to not have row data in the email but still have fields in the update request?

Andrée Starå

@Pam Grant

Yes, that's what I was thinking, and yes, I agree that the sheet name is a little too prominent.

As a possible workaround, you could use Emojis or special characters in the message or similar or add a helper column with the text that they shouldn't click the link and so on.

What do you think?

Paul Newcome

You can use placeholders in the Update Request to show them which fields need updated. I use this semi-regularly.

Dear {{Name Column}},

You are receiving this message because you messed something up.

Row Number: {{Row Number}}

First Data Column: {{First Data Column}}

Second Data Column: {{Second Data Column}}

Please click on the "Open Update Form" button below to fix it.

Thanks.

I do believe you will still need to leave the column data in place though, but at least doing it this way will take up more space and make your message about not accessing the sheet less likely to be missed.

Genevieve P.

Hi @Pam Grant,

We recently released an update where you can now choose to only send the message from your automated alert without providing a link to the source sheet in the email. Our Release Notes page has more information, see here!

Cheers,

Genevieve

Pam Grant

Thank you @Genevieve P

This is a great improvement and does allow me to exclude the sheet link if I include the cell information in the curly brackets (I like to call them squirrely brakets :D) in my message.

This method is not as efficient as checking off the fields I want to include. An enhancement to this new feature is a 4th option that is - Specific fields but no links to the sheet. I would like the same for Update Requests. I hope that is coming, too!

Genevieve P.

Hi @Pam Grant

I usually call them squiggly brackets, although I like squirrely!

I completely understand, and please do continue to send your feedback to our team through this form.

Kelsey Guinn

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/comment/264784#Comment_264784

@Genevieve P is this coming soon to sending individual rows? For example, we manage condos. Each row is an individual unit and we send row updates to to that condo unit owner.. is there a way to remove the source sheet link? or is there a work around? Thank you so much!!

Genevieve P.

Hi @Kelsey Guinn

If you want to send the actual row in the email, then currently the sheet link will still be included as you've found. However keep in mind that if the condo unit owner clicks on the link they'll see a page saying they don't have permissions to view the sheet so it won't expose any of your data.

The only way to remove the sheet link from the alert would be to follow the steps linked in the Release Notes page, where you choose to send the Message Only, then use Placeholders (as discussed above) to include that row information into the Message.

If you have additional suggestions or requests for what you'd like to see in alerts, please do submit our Enhancement Request form so that our Product team can review your direct feedback!

Cheers,

Genevieve

Jacelyn Lok

Hi,

Does this enhancement has been done in smartsheet?

I mean remove the smartsheet source link from request an update email alert.

I have submitted one enhancement request for this as well.

Thanks,

Regards,

Jacelyn Lok☺️