Access attachment metadata in Automation?

Katie Simon

I have a sheet with multiple users who share attachments with each other. The first user attaches a template to a specific row that the second user downloads, completes, then adds the completed document as an attachment to the same row.

I want to set up an workflow that will alert the first user that the second user has attached a document. But I don't want the first user to get an alert when they attach their template. Ideally I would like to be able to access the attachment metadata in this workflow to use a condition like "when an attachment is added but not by the first user." The existing Modified By system field does not work as that only tracks changes to the row data - not the addition of attachments.

Has anyone else figured out a way to do this?

Genevieve P.

Hi @Katie Simon

Is there ever an instance where you would want the initial user to receive a notification from one of their own attachments or changes?

It might be easiest just to set up an attachment alert workflow to send to each person, regardless of if it's the first or second attachment, but then have each user make sure their personal Notification settings are configured so they don't receive emails for their own changes:

If they un-check this box they shouldn't receive the first email for their own attachment, just the second email for the updated version since it came from another user. (See: Adjust Your Personal Account Settings.)

You could also have them set up a rule in their inbox to automatically filter out any notification emails from Smartsheet that said "changes made by their email".

Otherwise, there would need to be a different trigger for your workflow, other than an attachment added. For example, you could have the second person check a checkbox to indicate that they've uploaded the completed version, and then you could use this criteria as the indicator for the alert instead.

Let me know if any of this will work for you!

Cheers,

Genevieve