Automation: "Copy Rows to Another Sheet" Isn't Working

Amy Arnold

Hi,

I am the owner of a project that has several Smartsheets. When someone (owner/admin) changes the "Status" column to "Req. Not Met," I want the row to copy to another Smartsheet.

I set up this automation.

Then, I updated the "Status Column" (in five rows) to be"Req. Not Met" and saved it to trigger the automation.

Next, I opened the Smartsheet titled "(2) Assessment Report" to see if the data copied over. The data from the rows did not copy to this sheet. However, the automation did add unique "columns" from the source sheet. So this means automation is happening.

So I thought, maybe I should set up a helper column with a checkbox. Maybe the automation will respond better to a checkbox.

So then I changed the automation rule to this.

Then I cleared the "Req. Not Met" from the "Status Column," which cleared the checkboxes. I saved the sheet. I added back the "Req. Not Met" into five rows. Saved the sheet.

For some reason, the automation still is not working. Any suggestions?

Thank you

Andrée Starå

Hi @Amy Arnold

I hope you're well and safe!

Ensure that you've checked the box in the Sheet Change Notification Settings to Include my changes in sheet notifications in your Personal Settings (circle/profile in the upper right corner).

Did 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!

Amy Arnold

Hi Andrée,

Thank you for replying. I checked my Personal Settings and the Sheet Change Notifications Settings is checked. Here's an image of my notification settings.

Genevieve P.

Hi @Amy Arnold

You noted that the new columns appeared in the destination sheet, just not the new rows, is that correct? If so, this indicates that the rows are being copied over, we just haven't found them yet.

Can you scroll all the way down your second sheet to see if they are at the bottom? Copied rows and new row submissions (such as via a form) need to have completely fresh rows to insert data into. If your top rows used to house data but were cleared (instead of deleted), then the copied rows will appear below what looks to be empty lines. Does that make sense?

Also, do you have a filter applied to this second sheet?

Cheers!

Genevieve

Amy Arnold

Hi @Andrée Starå and @Genevieve P

My automation is working perfectly! The rows are copying to the bottom of the sheet. Just luck, I scrolled down the sheet and there they were.

I meant to respond earlier but forgot.

I appreciate your help.

Andrée Starå

@Amy Arnold

Excellent!

You're more than welcome!

✅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!

Smartsheetuser71

I am having a similar, but different problem.

My rows from another sheet are copying over just fine, but not items from column "generate documents." It used to work when previously tested. As far as I know, nothing changed. But it is not working now.

In this screenshot, you see the circle shows the items that were not copied over though they are checked on the sheet it copied form.

Genevieve P.

Hey @Smartsheetuser71

Is it possible there's a workflow on the destination sheet that may clear out that cell?

It may be helpful to right-click on the cell and check the history to see if anything was updated.

Ashley McAdoo

Hey @Genevieve P. and @Andrée Starå

I'm trying to set up a copy row automation, and when I go to select the destination sheet there are no sheets to choose from. I am the owner of both the source and the destination sheets. Any idea what's going on?

No sheets.JPG

Thanks,

Ashley

Genevieve P.

Hi @Ashley McAdoo

Can I check that you've hit "Enter" after adding in the value you're searching for?

In your image it still has the default "Try searching for a name or keyword" showing. If there are no results it should show a page like this:

Cheers,

Genevieve

Ashley McAdoo

Hi @Genevieve P.

You can nominate me for the Smartsheet Dumb Question of the Week Award. 😀

I was expecting the search bar to find matches as I typed, and I was hitting the magnifying glass instead of "enter".

Thanks!

Ashley

Genevieve P.

Haha no problem at all! I'm glad we could help 🙂

Sonya F

Hi @Genevieve P. I've read through the thread. Went back and checked if I was actually hitting enter (I am). I'm not seeing the destination sheet that I want to select there are no sheets to choose from. I am the owner or admin of both the source and the destination sheets. Any idea what's going on?

Genevieve P.

Hi @Sonya F

If you're only an Admin of the current sheet, then the owner of that same sheet will need to be on the second, destination sheet.

For example:

Permissions	Sheet 1	Sheet 2
Owner	Genevieve	Sonya
Admin	Sonya

In this instance, Sheet 2 will not show up, because I, as the Owner, have not been shared to it. You would need the following:

Permissions	Sheet 1	Sheet 2
Owner	Genevieve	Sonya
Admin	Sonya	Genevieve

Cheers,

Genevieve

Sonya F

This!!!!! It worked. You made my morning!!

Next question…what if I don't want to move all the columns to be copied over? (ie. Only 9 out of 23 from source sheet). I know the copy row isn't the feature to be used and some formula would be better here but I can't figure out which.

(If I need to post this somewhere else let me know :D)

Genevieve P.

Glad I could help, @Sonya F!

Happy to answer your second question here - there currently isn't a way to select which columns/cells to copy or move, it will take the entire row and all columns. Please feel free to add your vote to this related Product Idea: Select which columns to copy or move from one sheet to another

If those 9 cells are related to one unique value in both sheets (e.g. if the name "Genevieve" is only used once on both sheets), then yes, you could use a formula to populate those cells instead. Here's an article that may help with this: https://help.smartsheet.com/articles/2482647-cross-sheet-formula-combinations?_gl=1*1qhorl4*_ga*Njg2ODAzNzcwLjE2ODQ1MTA3NDI.*_ga_ZYH7XNXMZK*MTcxNDQ3NjI1Mi41LjEuMTcxNDQ4NTkxOS41Ny4wLjA.&_ga=2.107056066.1127729542.1714377854-686803770.1684510742

Otherwise, you may want to use a Row Report instead to only surface those 9 columns/cells and make edits there, which will then automatically update the source sheet.

Cheers,
Genevieve