Auto-refresh reports

Tessa Frank

The data in my reports that feed into a dashboard are not automatically updating. I currently have to open the source sheets and refresh the sheet, then open the report and refresh the report, for the change to take effect in my dashboard. I have my personal settings set to auto-save and the dashboard set to auto-refresh every minute. Is there a way to auto-refresh sheets and reports so that I don't have to open them for the dashboard to have the most updated information?

Mike Wilday

Commenting to follow this thread and see if this is a bug or not.

Mike Wilday

Have you tried reaching out to support?

Genevieve P.

Hi @Tessa Frank

Reports & Dashboards should update fairly quickly (within a few minutes, depending on your refresh settings) without you needing to go in and save the sheet. However, there are some functions (namely the TODAY function) that requires a sheet to be opened or saved in some way in order to recognize what today's date is and the updates that this means for the sheet. Is this the type of update you're referring to?

If so, this Help Article here has a list of ways to make the Today function update. You could also set up 2 automations... one for locking the sheet and one for unlocking the sheet, separately, to trigger after midnight. This will auto-update the sheet once a day to help TODAY recognize what the date is.

If this isn't your issue, then I agree with Mike. You may want to reach out to Smartsheet Support so they can work with you one-on-one and you can share private information with them (such as the sheet name, report name, and screen recordings if possible).

Cheers!

Genevieve

Mike Wilday

@Genevieve P

That's a good point. I forgot about the Today() function requiring the sheet to open. Good point.

Michael Stavropoulos

Hello @Genevieve P you note above that you can

You could also set up 2 automations... one for locking the sheet and one for unlocking the sheet, separately, to trigger after midnight. This will auto-update the sheet once a day to help TODAY recognize what the date is.

Is this done thru the API or is there an automation that can be triggered to "lock" and "unlock" the sheet thereby saving it?

Thanks.

Michael

Andrée Starå

Hi @Michael Stavropoulos

I hope you're well and safe!

You would use the Workflow feature to set it up.

More info: 

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/74527/daily-update-solution-without-the-need-to-open-the-sheet-use-zapier-or-similar

https://help.smartsheet.com/topics/automated-workflows

I hope that helps!

Be safe and have a fantastic week!

Best,

Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

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Michael Stavropoulos

@Andrée Starå ,

Great tip thanks so much!

Andrée Starå

@Michael Stavropoulos

Excellent!

You're more than welcome!

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Michael Stavropoulos

@Andrée Starå, Seems that while the Record a Date Automation did in fact update the cell with the current date, The sheet did not saved. So the sheet using the Today command still needed to be saved. Unless I did something wrong. Here's a screenshot. I must be missing something.

Screenshot 2021-04-26 120219.jpg

ygoldgrab

@Michael Stavropoulos

You used week, it needs to be every day.

Thanks @Andrée Starå !

Capture.PNG

Michael Stavropoulos

Thanks @ygoldgrab, actually I did week, for everyday in the week. the workflow actually ran and updated , but regardless, it seems the TODAY function will note update unless you actually enter the sheet and save. I am trying the lock and unlock recommendation @Genevieve P recommended above. We'll see if that produces any better results.

Michael

Screenshot 2021-04-27 114323.jpg

Andrée Starå

@ygoldgrab

Happy to help!

@Michael Stavropoulos

It should work.

I'd be happy to take a quick look.

Can you maybe share the sheet(s)/copies of the sheet(s)? (Delete/replace any confidential/sensitive information before sharing) That would make it easier to help. (share too, andree@workbold.com)

Michael Stavropoulos

Thanks @Andrée Starå,

I have about 6 iterations of this, and I am trying multiple variations of this using date-helper, lock and unlock. over the last 3 days, I had one instance that worked, and that was with date-helper but it ran at 6am. I am wondering if for some reason that 1am is too early to run it. Perhaps TODAY function is being evaluated on a pacific service and the 1am automation doesn't recognize the date has changed and needs updating. I've trigger the automations for various times. We'll see what happens.

Thanks.

ygoldgrab

@Michael Stavropoulos , The today() helper works great for me. Maybe change to daily instead of weekly

I tried in the past many times the unlock and lock, and that didn't work for me, I found a thread where it hasn't worked for other's either https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/70946/today-function-will-not-remain-dynamic