Workflow with multiple OR conditions is not working as expected

Laura B.

I created a workflow that triggers an alert when a new row is added to a sheet, except if certain conditions are met -- i.e. if I am the one who added the new row, I do NOT want an alert sent. It is not working as expected and alerts are still being sent when I add a new row. See image below - have I set up the 'OR' conditions correctly? Thanks in advance for assistance/guidance!

Genevieve P.

Hi @Laura B.

It can be a little confusing using negative criteria within an OR, so let me try to explain it in a positive way, first.

Pretend you have three criteria:

• Either Column A is "Send"
• OR Column B is "Send"
• OR Column C is "Send"

The workflow will fire if just ONE of those criteria is correct because of the OR statements. So if you insert a row:

• Column A: "N/A"(🚫)
• Column B: "N/A" (🚫)
• Column C: "Send"(✅)

Then the alert will be sent. It evaluates each of these separately to see if that one rule is correct, and if it is, it will send.

In your case:

• Either Modified By: NOT Laura ("Send")
• OR Created By: NOT Laura ("Send")
• OR Matter Name: NOT "Test" ("Send")

So if the row is as follows:

• Modified By: Laura (🚫)
• OR Created By: Laura (🚫)
• OR Matter Name: "Regular Text" ("Send" ✅)

The alert will send because one of the criteria is met! The row does not say "Test" in it, therefore this rule is correct and it triggers the alert regardless of who created the row. In order to prevent the alert from sending you'd need to have "Test" as part of the text.

Does this help explain? The conditions are built for when the alert is sent, versus when the alert is not sent.

If you don't want to receive alerts for your own changes, you can adjust this in your personal settings:

Cheers,

Genevieve

Andrée Starå

Hi @Laura B.

I hope you're well and safe!

Can you describe your process in more detail and maybe share the sheet(s)/copies of the sheet(s) or some screenshots of the sheet? (Delete/replace any confidential/sensitive information before sharing) That would make it easier to help. (share too, andree@workbold.com)

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 support the Community by marking it Insightful/Vote Up or/and as the accepted answer. It will make it easier for others to find a solution or help to answer!

Genevieve P.

Hi @Laura B.

If one of those criteria are met, then the alert will send because you have OR between your conditions.

For example, if you create the row, but your "Matter Name" does not contain "test", then the alert will send because one of the conditions is met.

Try either removing the text criteria for Matter Name (so only specify that it shouldn't send if you are the Created By user), or you can change the criteria to AND instead of OR (but then you will need to remember to label all your test rows as TEST).

You could also split up the condition block to be two blocks: the first block would be who Created or Modified the row. Then add a second Condition block for the Matter Name, separately. It will only look at the second block if the criteria in the first block is met. See: Mix And-Logic With Or-Logic on the Same Condition Path

Let me know if that works for you!

Cheers,

Genevieve

Andrée Starå

@Genevieve P

Good catch! How could I miss that?

🤭

Genevieve P.

Oops! I didn't see you had already answered @Andrée Starå, haha I must have had the tab open too long. It took me a second, too - I had to test the full set-up to figure it out.

Andrée Starå

@Genevieve P

No worries! I was wrong ;)

Laura B.

Hi @Genevieve P

My criteria for created by / modified by are "is not one of". If the matter name does not contain "test" but is created by /modified by me, then one of the other criteria has been met and the alert should not be sent, correct?

For example, I pasted in several new rows to the sheet and when the sheet is saved, the created by and modified by columns are populated with my name. Perhaps the timing needs to be changed from "When Triggered" to "Hourly"?

Thanks,

Laura

Genevieve P.

Hi @Laura B.

It can be a little confusing using negative criteria within an OR, so let me try to explain it in a positive way, first.

Pretend you have three criteria:

• Either Column A is "Send"
• OR Column B is "Send"
• OR Column C is "Send"

The workflow will fire if just ONE of those criteria is correct because of the OR statements. So if you insert a row:

• Column A: "N/A"(🚫)
• Column B: "N/A" (🚫)
• Column C: "Send"(✅)

Then the alert will be sent. It evaluates each of these separately to see if that one rule is correct, and if it is, it will send.

In your case:

• Either Modified By: NOT Laura ("Send")
• OR Created By: NOT Laura ("Send")
• OR Matter Name: NOT "Test" ("Send")

So if the row is as follows:

• Modified By: Laura (🚫)
• OR Created By: Laura (🚫)
• OR Matter Name: "Regular Text" ("Send" ✅)

The alert will send because one of the criteria is met! The row does not say "Test" in it, therefore this rule is correct and it triggers the alert regardless of who created the row. In order to prevent the alert from sending you'd need to have "Test" as part of the text.

Does this help explain? The conditions are built for when the alert is sent, versus when the alert is not sent.

If you don't want to receive alerts for your own changes, you can adjust this in your personal settings:

Cheers,

Genevieve

Laura B.

Hi @Genevieve P ,

This explanation was very clear and helpful, thank you! I have removed the condition regarding matter name, which I think solves my issue.