Using automation to create copy of deleted rows

Jon Friend

A suggestion for the SmartSheet development team: there's lots of posts in the community forum about retrieving deleted records and making back-up tables. Perhaps something that would fill a gap would be a new option on automation: trigger = "When rows are deleted" !! Seems so easy and simple then to set-up a workflow: When rows are deleted, copy to new sheet. Effectively, it would make a table of deleted records. If that could occur, we could create a column in that new "deleted records" table: RestoreStatus. A smartSheet user with permission to the deletedRecords sheet could then - when a record needs to be retrieved - simply update the RestoreStatus column, and another workflow could then copy that record BACK to the original production table. Many more things we could do... if only we had the ability to setup an automation with the trigger: "When rows are deleted"

Jon Friend

@Paul Newcome ?

Paul Newcome

I think this is a good idea to start with, but I do have a few thoughts on it...

If we use "When a row is deleted" for a trigger... Then the row already has to be deleted from the sheet which means there is no data to copy.

Here is a quick thought on something that may or may not work, but...

Insert a checkbox column called [Delete?]. Instruct users to check the box for rows they want to delete instead of deleting the row itself. Set up a Move Row automation to move the row to your "Deleted Records" sheet when the box is checked.

Genevieve P.

Hi @Jon Friend

I agree that Paul's solution might be a better way to manage deletions if you want full visibility, however there is a simple alert you can set up to notify you about deletions.

The alert doesn't contain any row information, it just sends an email when rows are deleted (with the number of rows and who made the action). You would then need to use the Activity Log in the sheet in order to identify the previous data and add it back into the sheet.

Here's how to find the simple workflow:

Automations > Manage Workflows > Create Workflow > Basic Workflow

Cheers,

Genevieve

DLap

Hello there - is there still a way to create a workflow for when a row is deleted?

The basic workflow option went away, so just wondering if it's still possible to do!

Genevieve P.

Hi @DLap

Yes! You can find this type of automation in the Template section of the Modern Workflow Manager:

It's under the "Notifications & Reminders" heading:

Cheers,

Genevieve

Brad Jones

@Jon Friend

Yes, indeed, there are a LOT of posts in the forum about recovering, or preventing, deleted rows:

Here is my ongoing (and incomplete) list:

June 2015

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/rows-being-removed   

August 2015

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/revert-old-version-sheet

August 2015

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/avoid-shared-person-delete-my-row    

August 2015

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/conditional-lock

August 2015

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/find-deleated-items     

October 2015

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/retrieve-deleted-data

January 2016

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/form-and-sheet-functionality-available-security-levels-users   

February 2016

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/delted-section-my-worksheet-and-undo-button-does-not-go-back-far-enough      

March 2016

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/prevent-deletion-rows-if-it-contains-locked-cells          

May 2016

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/allowing-team-members-update-smartsheet    

June 2016

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/prevent-deletion-rows-enhancement-request-again    

June 2016

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/delete-rows-employee-avoide-tasks-completion         

June 2016

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/deleted-rows-there-way-find-out-who  

July 2016

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/historychange-deleted-rows    

October 2016

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/block-rows-been-deleted-editor

February 2017

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/admin-deleted-bucket 

March 2017

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/retrieving-lost-data

March 2017

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/viewing-deleting-rows

June 2017

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/web-form-submissions-disappearing   

July 2017

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/retaining-deleted-info  

September 2017

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/external-collaboration-communication-outside-company-contacts

January 2018

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/adding-back-deleted-rows

March 2018

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/overwritten-sheet#comment-67946

June 2018

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/questions-new-user#comments

July 2018

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/retrieve-deleted-sheets

November 2018

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/activity-logrows-deleted#comment-124356

December 2018

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/37871/deleted-rows/p1

July 2019

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/52766/deleted-content-in-a-row

July 2019

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/52571/cannot-delete-a-locked-column-but-can-delete-the-row

September 2020

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/71757/is-it-possible-to-block-a-row-from-being-deleted-while-allowing-edit-to-specific-cells-in-that-row

June 2021

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/80835/using-automation-to-create-copy-of-deleted-rows

May 2022

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/90947/recover-deleted-rows

May 2022

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/91157/can-one-undelete-a-full-row-once-it-has-been-deleted-and-then-the-sheet-saved

June 2022

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/91973/how-can-i-track-deleted-rows

Paul Newcome

@Brad Jones Here is a link to the new Product Enhancement Request area in case you wanted to go ahead and submit it...

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/92094/faqs-and-guidelines-for-posting-product-feedback-ideas

Andrée Starå

Hi @Brad Jones @Jon Friend

I hope you're well and safe!

Great idea(s)! That would be a great addition to Smartsheet features.

Please submit this as a Product Feedback or Idea (If it hasn't been added already) when you have a moment.

I hope that helps!

Be safe and have a fantastic week!

Best,

Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

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Brad Jones

This is already something that I have submitted several times over the past 7 years.

With any luck, they will consider it.