Helper text on an update request

Keechia Traub

Hello,

Is it possible to have any "helper" text in an update request? Such as the description that is on the particular field that is included?

I know there is this function when developing a form but want the customer to be able to continue to add information after an initial request/intake is done. For example, we have an intake form, where customers request changes. Once that is received and reviewed it is routed to different committees. If it is routed to a specific committee they have additional questions that need to be asked/addressed. We had built this as a form but then it goes into another sheet or adds a row into the sheet. I was instructed that if you have everything on one line in a single sheet it makes for easier reporting and tracking. But now I don't see a way to send a request that has additional description of the field. I thought about changing the field name but some of them are questions that are too long for the field name. Any guidance/suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!

Andrée Starå

@Keechia Traub

Excellent!

You're more than welcome!

Yes, you'll need to add the helper columns in the correct position in the sheet, so it shows up before the main column with the question. You can hide those columns in the sheet.

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Andrée Starå

Hi @Keechia Traub

As a possible workaround, you could add so-called helper columns where you include the help text on each row or the column name if that is enough.

Make sense?

Would that work/help?

I hope that helps!

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!

Keechia Traub

Hi Andree,

This might work, do you know how I would add these "helper columns"? Would it just be adding columns that have the question or helper language in them and then including that column on the update request?? I'm thinking this would be the approach but want to make sure I'm understanding.

Andrée Starå

@Keechia Traub

Excellent!

You're more than welcome!

Yes, you'll need to add the helper columns in the correct position in the sheet, so it shows up before the main column with the question. You can hide those columns in the sheet.

✅Remember! 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!

Gonzo

This solution is not very elegant. it creates an extra field, along with the helped column description, that can be confusing, not to mention unappealing visually.

Ulla Gertig

Hi, I have the same problem. My update request are not showing the help text that is needed to understand the question as the column is not having enough space to add the question there.

Is there a smarter solution for this issue, now after 2 years?

Same for the logic, would be great tpo have that in the update requests as well.

However, based on the feedback I saw already, the age of the questions and the the non implementation of all those crucial things it seems like Smartsheet is not really into making things more user friendly.. So not sure if it even makes sense to raise it again...

rphim

I have a sheet with over a dozen columns each with their own helper text. So the suggestion is that I should add "helper columns" after each column to hold the text from the form? Is that really the best we can do AFTER 2 YEARS?! This is really less than ideal and pretty disappointing. Perhaps worse is the lack of response from Smartsheet to address or even acknowledge this issue. Even if there is no solution on the horizon, addressing user concerns is customer service 101 level stuff. Feel free to alert me if this has been addressed elsewhere I missed it.

jowett_matt

I'm also struggling with this issue - was there every an improvement made? This is pretty basic stuff. As would be the option to choose either update requests as individual emails for each row, or all rows bundled into one email. At the moment, if there are more than 6 items, we are forced into an bulk email which looks dreadful (an ilegible spreadsheet pasted into the email body), and once the update form opens (which looks good) the user has to make all updates at the same time before they can submit. They have no option to do a few, submit, then come back later and do the others. I asked about this 3 years ago and no change. Very disappointing.

jeaton7

Hello.

Has anyone received an update on this issue/request to have help text for any fields or extending the character limit in the columns in order to use these in Update Requests?

Thanks in advance.

Raphael Lng

Hello,

Please please please that would be such a great feature ! In our organization I send update request to many users and when there are new users for example it's not easy for them to know what they have to put in the columns (because I don't want to make columns with a crazy long name).

If we have the help text directly in the update request for each column it would be almost like a Smartsheet Form which is great! ( I cannot use the form for our purpose as it is datas which can only be updated step by step and not one-shot). Do you know if there is any Idea proposition existing on this topic so we can vote it, I didn't find it...

Thanks

Tara Messa

It seems like an easy ask to at least allow the column description to be shown. I'm not sure the purpose of the column description when it can't be used for update requests or forms.

amarie

This would be a great feature, please consider adding to the roadmap!