Dashboard - Embedding links to email addresses

Marie Toft · 10/07/20

I've seen some past posts on this topic but have not gotten the workaround to work and was hoping that there may be progress on a solution.

At the 2020 Engage event, I saw a beautiful dashboard that had images and email links under a title: contacts. I'm trying to create the same on my dashboard.

Any help or update?

This previous post did not work for me b/c the "shorten email address" does not create an email to that person. Instead it opens up outlook or gmail mailbox.

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/63641/link-email-on-dashboard

Ben Goldblatt · 10/08/20

Hi @Marie Toft,

I highly recommend Submitting a Product Enhancement Request for the ability to click on a contact to send an email directly from Smartsheet, as the application doesn't currently have a built-in feature that associates mailto links with email addresses. The alternative solution that we've found for this, as you also found in the other post you mentioned, is to use an external site to shorten the email address and then use that shortened mailto link to open up an email program for creating an email message when a linked contact is clicked.

I can definitely see the benefit of having the email experience you're looking to create and I do think this would be great to see in a future release.

Thanks,

Ben

Ramzi K · 10/07/20

@Marie Toft

Create a sheet with a Contact List column. Put all the email/people you want in that column.

On your dashboard, add a Metric widget and reference the cells in that sheet that you want to display.

I hope that helps.

Cheers,

Ramzi

Marie Toft · 10/07/20

@Ramzi K

Thanks! I'll give that a try.

Marie Toft · 10/07/20

@Ramzi K

Thanks for the tip. I built a sheet with relevant email as a contact. I have it displayed using reference a sheet. But it isn't working as I had hoped in the dashboard.

The user of the dashboard can hover and see the relevant email / contact info....but it doesn't allow them to click and take them to crafting an email. They would need to hover and write down the email address and then go open outlook/gmail or relevant email app. to start an email by typing in the person's name/email address.

Am I missing something? Can the contact list not use some kind of hyperlink to take them straight into crafting an email by clicking on the name under contacts on the dashboard? It must be me....I'm missing something in this build.......

Ben Goldblatt · 10/08/20

Hi @Marie Toft,

I highly recommend Submitting a Product Enhancement Request for the ability to click on a contact to send an email directly from Smartsheet, as the application doesn't currently have a built-in feature that associates mailto links with email addresses. The alternative solution that we've found for this, as you also found in the other post you mentioned, is to use an external site to shorten the email address and then use that shortened mailto link to open up an email program for creating an email message when a linked contact is clicked.

I can definitely see the benefit of having the email experience you're looking to create and I do think this would be great to see in a future release.

Thanks,

Ben

Marie Toft · 10/08/20

@Ben G

Well said! And exactly what I was afraid to hear that it doesn't yet exist. I'll for sure submit an enhancement request. Thanks for understanding the request and current options available.