Individual Update Request Emails

Barbara Swyryn

Hi there!

I am using Smartsheet in an educational setting where each row includes information for an individual student, and there are multiple users that update that data.

Currently, I am using an automation so that when one user checks a box in a row, Smartsheet sends an update request email to another user listed in a contact list for that row. Users like to use the "Open Update Form" in the update request email to update the row data.

This automation works great when the checkbox is checked for one row at a time. However, if the checkbox is checked for multiple rows at a time and the Smartsheet is saved, users are receiving one update request email for the multiple rows, and when they use the "Open Update Form" it links to an update request with multiple pages, one for each row.

Is there a way to force Smartsheet to send an individual update request email for each row? And not send one email request for multiple rows at a time?

Thanks!

Bassam Khalil

Hi @Barbara Swyryn

Hope you are fine, when you design the update request as a workflow It will be triggered when the condition is met in all rows where this condition is met.

if you like you can play around by using a helper column contain the contacts as a dropdown menu and select for each row a different contact and design your update request workflow to send the update to the contact in that column.

Andrée Starå

Hi @Barbara Swyryn

I hope you're well and safe!

To add to Bassam's excellent advice/answer.

You can add a placeholder to force it to send one by one for up to six rows.

Placeholders will generate separate notifications when using placeholders with Alert or Update Request actions in change-based workflows if six or fewer rows are triggered simultaneously. If seven or more rows are triggered at once, the custom subject and body will be removed.

More info: 

https://help.smartsheet.com/articles/2477796-dynamically-add-cell-data-in-the-subject-and-body-of-request-messages

Would that work/help?

I hope that helps!

Be safe and have a fantastic week!

Best,

Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

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Barbara Swyryn

Hi @Bassam.M Khalil! Thank you for your reply! I am currently using a helper column with a contact list drop down menu like you mentioned. The issue is that the contacts need to be repeated for multiple rows because those rows contain data for specific students that they are assigned to make updates for. If one row is updated at a time, the automation works great. It is just when multiple rows are updated that seems to be the issue.

Hi @Andrée Starå! Thank you for your reply as well! I actually am using the placeholders feature, and it is ideal for our process. I can include the student's name and unique university ID in the header of the update request email, which helps our users quickly identify the student for which the row update needs to be made. Is there no way around the 6 row limit? The issue seems to be that if one users updates more than six rows and checks the box to trigger the update request email to another user, the update request emails get lumped into one generic email instead. Would telling my users to only update 6 rows at a time and then save be the best option?