Copy Row Workflow

Umesh Shah

I created a workflow to copy rows from one sheet to another, however, i do not want all the fields from sheet 1 to be copied to sheet 2.

is there a way to specify which columns get copied and which do not?

Andrée Starå

Hi @Umesh Shah

I hope you're well and safe!

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 use cross-sheet formulas combined with either a VLOOKUP or INDEX/MATCH structure to connect the sheets, and when you update the source sheet it will reflect on the destination sheet.

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!

Umesh Shah

We have too many sheets to use a vlookup, currently at 15 sheets, soon to be 3x that. the copy feature is the most efficient way right now.

I would submit an enhancement request if I knew it would ever be reviewed.

There is zero visibility into enhancement requests or their status in the roadmap, unfortunately, it's a place ideas go to hide.

Andrée Starå

@Umesh Shah

Why isn't the cross-sheet formula solution an option? Is it because you will hit the limits?

Can you describe your process in more detail and maybe share the sheet(s)/copies of the sheet(s) or some screenshots? (Delete/replace any confidential/sensitive information before sharing) That would make it easier to help. (share too, andree@workbold.com)

Regarding the Enhancement Requests.

The Smartsheet team looks at and reviews all requests, and yes, we don't have any visibility until it's mentioned or released.

✅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!

Umesh Shah

@Andrée Starå

So I have 15 sheets by country with multiple events (rows) listed in each. We have statuses for each activity (New, Planned, Committed). When an event goes into "Committed" we want it copied to another sheet (Sheet B) for visibility by another team (Team B).

Team B does not need all the fields from the original sheet, they only need some. In addition Sheet B has additional fields that will need to be populated related to the newly copied row. These new fields are not required until after they are copied to Sheet B.

From each of the 15 sheets, rows can go into "Committed" status at any time in any order.

So, my question to you is - using a VLOOKUP how can I pull the needed fields from any/all of the 15 sheets?

Do I create an intermediate report which consolidates all 15 sheets into one then do a vlookup of that report into another sheet? is that even possible?

--

On the enhancement front, many software companies use platforms like https://www.uservoice.com/ to allow users to submit and vote on enhancements and it provides clear visibility into the status of your request and where it stands on the roadmap.

In researching my issues in communities I frequently come across enhancements I would like to see submitted by other users years ago which still have not made it into the product. Having visibility into my requests and their ranking would definitely help me better understand why they aren't in the roadmap or even how many other users find it beneficial.

The existing process is very much a black box of sorts from a customer perspective. No visibility into my submissions, no updates, no feedback on other users' opinion of my request, no view of my request v other requests, no view of roadmap status (if any), etc..

Andrée Starå

@Umesh Shah

I'd recommend copying the row(s) from the other sheet to a so-called helper sheet when the status "Committed" is selected, and then you use VLOOKUP or INDEX/MATCH to collect the information to the Sheet B.

You'd need to use something to tie the records together, like a project id or row id.

Make sense?

Would that work/help?

Umesh Shah

@Andrée Starå

I do have unique row IDs per sheet. So..thinking this out, Let's assume i have the following sheets and columns.

Source sheet:

RID, Column A:, Column B, Columb C

Helper Sheet:

since this is a copy, i would have the same columns but only those with Status = Committed

RID, Column A, Column B, Column C

Destination Sheet:

let's say I do not want Column C. So i would have the following columns.

RID, Column A, Column B

How would I get the RID column populated in the destination sheet with new entries in the helper sheet so I can use the VLOOKUP in the other columns?

p.s. this issue is related to the other one you are replying to for me which is getting the long description in each column into the update forms

Andrée Starå

@Umesh Shah

I usually add the row id pattern to the destination sheet, and then with the cross-sheet formula, it will populate automatically.

Make sense?

Another option would be to copy the rows and use column formulas to make the cross-sheet formulas continue to work.

Umesh Shah

@Andrée Starå

Each of our sheets has a different RID pattern, so unsure how this would work.

it doesn't look like there is a solution to this right now.

thanks for your help though.

Andrée Starå

@Umesh Shah

You're more than welcome!

It might still be possible to create a solution.

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)