Using automation, how to delete a row after a certain time period?

Aaron Poster

We want to delete rows after a certain date or time period has been reached. Since we will have a lot of rows being added to a sheet at once, it will reach the max number of rows. The objective is to not add a new sheet every time the max row limit is full, we want to be able to delete rows after a period of time. These are temporary sheets in the sense of only needed the most up to date information.

Bassam Khalil

Hi @Aaron Poster 

Hope you are fine, smartsheet doesn't have automation for deleting rows but you can do the following:

1- create a new sheet call it "Trash"

2- design a workflow for moving rows that pass the duration you need to delete to the "Trash" sheet you created.

3- each weekend you delete all the rows in the "Trash" Sheet.

Mark Lappegaard

Man, I love this idea. So simple. I am going to use it for another issue where I wanted a "delete row" function. Good job, Bassam.

LydiaBR

This is a good workaround, however it has a manual element which is frustrating. I would much prefer there to be a fully automated way to delete lines as I have a lot of duplicates.

jeffthrift

Agreed, we need to delete a row. My case is in the denial of a requested date, via a form. I'd like to delete the row in the case of a denial, as of now the automation selections only let met clear most columns but the start and end dates.

Grant Lagimodiere

To automatically delete rows in an "archive/trash bin" sheet I do this. I use a standard "move" automation template to move the rows into a newly created "trash bin" sheet. Using Data Shuttle I do this:

1. Create an Upload workflow.
2. The source file will be a blank .xls or .csv with the identical structure as your regular data import file - but blanked out, no data.
3. Configure the workflow for complete replace of the target sheet (the "delete bin" sheet).
4. Schedule the new delete bin workflow frequency greater than the frequency of your data import. For example, if you upload your data every hour, then empty the trash bin every 15 or 30 minutes. I do this to reduce the chance that I could "overflow" the trash bin and halt the automation.

tim.wimmer49936

Jeez, why is the answer always "spend more money and buy premium apps"? This is a simple process no different from "move row" or "copy row" that should be part of the core application.