Automation - Run Workflow Daily

Tristin

When an approval workflow is set to run daily, will the approver receive a single email each day containing all rows that need to be approved? Or will they still receive an individual email for every row that needs to be approved?

Julie Fortney

Hi Tristin,

If you set it to run daily it should send out a single email with all rows that meet the conditions of the workflow.

I also recommend setting up a test workflow to your personal email address to test it out and make sure the notification is set up the way you would like it to be.

Tristin

I have an approval workflow setup currently with the Daily setting and the approvers are still getting an individual email for each row - the only thing that changed when I changed the run workflow setting from When Triggered to Daily is that the emails are all coming in at the same time in the middle of the night rather than all throughout the day. Is there a different setting I need to modify to get these to come through in a single email?

Genevieve P.

Hi @Tristin

Are you using placeholders in the body of your message? {{these}} for column data?

See the bottom of this Help Article: Customize the Content of Your Alerts and Requests

"When using placeholders with Approval Requests, Smartsheet generates a separate notification for every row"

Tristin

@Genevieve P. I am not using placeholders; however, I have selected only specific fields to be included - could that be the issue? If I change it to be All Fields, will we get just the single daily email?

Genevieve P.

Hi @Tristin

My apologies! I just tested this, and no, even if you have all fields showing it will send single emails per-row. I've confirmed that the reason you're seeing individual emails is due to the type of Action you're sending (an Approval Request).

It's expected that an Approval will send one email at a time. If they're triggered at the same time going to a Gmail inbox, these emails might be in the same thread, but they will be individual emails.

An alternative would be to send an Alert type of action, requesting the user to go directly to the sheet to make the Approvals. Would that work for you?

Another option would be to use Update Requests instead, and lock all the columns you don't want them changing. Update Requests will batch into one email, but once they open the form they'll need to click the "Next" button to see the second, third, fourth request, etc.

Let me know if I can clarify anything further!

Cheers,

Genevieve

Tristin

@Genevieve P. If the approver turns off email notifications for Approvals, is there somewhere within SmartSheet they can go to see all of the approval requests that are assigned to them?

Genevieve P.

Hi @Tristin

Yes! The Notification Center (the bell icon on the left) will show all requests sent:

They will also see these requests in their Home tab, at the top:

Is this what you were looking for?