How do I add comments in automated email alerts?

MHuggs

Hi all,

I've been working with my sheet on sending automated emails to contacts within the sheet and can add specific parameters for what is in a cell. However, I can't figure out how I can display the comments in the email without having a link to the form. The reason I don't want a link to the form is because these emails are being sent externally.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Andrée Starå

Hi @MHuggs

Unfortunately, it's not possible to reference comments for placeholders now, but it's an excellent idea!

Please submit an Enhancement Request when you have a moment

As a possible workaround, you could maybe copy the comments to a so-called helper column or use a 3rd party solution to automate it.

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!

Aravind GP

Hi,

I believe you are referring to the Sheet link which goes on each automated email. You can set up alert workflow instead of Update Request to not send the update form link. However, the downside is that there is no option for a user, that is not shared to the sheet and without a valid Smartsheet account, to add his/her comments on it.

If the intention is to just alert someone about changes in comments, the alert workflow will do that with comments shown as well. Do note that there is no option currently, to not have the link to the underlying sheet (even though the user will not be able to access it unless you've shared it with them)

Thanks,

Aravind

MHuggs

Hi Aravind,

I'm not trying to get the link to the sheet. I'm trying to include comments (that is not a field within the sheet) added to the body of the customized message when an email is sent. I have this so only the message is shown.

I can get certain cells to appear, for example {{Issue Reference}}, but I can't find a way to add comments into this customized message.

Thanks

Andrée Starå

Hi @MHuggs

Unfortunately, it's not possible to reference comments for placeholders now, but it's an excellent idea!

Please submit an Enhancement Request when you have a moment

As a possible workaround, you could maybe copy the comments to a so-called helper column or use a 3rd party solution to automate it.

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!

MHuggs

Hi @Andrée Starå,

Is there an automatic way to copy the comments added to a row into the 'helper column' you've mentioned?

Thanks

Andrée Starå

@MHuggs

I haven't had time to explore in more detail, but I think it would be possible to develop a solution using the 3rd party service, Zapier or similar.

Is that an option?

Andrea Zenner

I know this is an old thread, but I recently had this need and found that adding the "latest comment" field to the sheet allows me to add the latest comment to the notifications using {{Latest Comment}}. This met our need.

TullyONeill

@Andrea Zenner - thanks for this tip! I added that but, I got a prompt saying that column was not available. Did you move the comments from the comment section to a column?

Andrea Zenner

@TullyONeill I did not use a helper column, I just added {{Latest Comment}} in my workflow message and it worked. After adding the column to your sheet and saving, you got an error trying to add {{Latest Comment}} to your workflow? Is that correct? Can you send a screenshot of your workflow. This is what is looks like in mine.

This is what the email looks like when it is received.