Using Forms as an Trigger Input to a Smartsheet

Situation:

Users want to use the Form as input to update the smartsheet (and also minimize cell overwrites or delete errors that come with users entering data manually in a sheet...).


Idea:

Create a Form in the smartsheet , use an column (Checkbox = Checked) on the Form to generate a cell with new data.

Create a workflow to recognize that new cell input and trigger a Request Update with the relative rows that need updating.

User receives email with the link to a new Form with the relative rows to update.


Benefit:

Users trigger their own update requests dynamically instead of waiting for a condition change or TOD trigger (Daily Hourly Weekly --- not timely) .


Issue:

It looks like when i used the Checkbox symbol in the form to submit new data (box = Checked) into a cell , even though i see the cell with a 'check mark' the workflow will not trigger using the 'when triggered' option. I also found that the smartsheet does not turn on the Save icon in the sheet when inputs from a Form are generated.


Question:

Is there a field i can use in a Form that will populate a cell in the sheet that will trigger a workflow ? Checkbox doesnt work and i tried using some generic characters to get the workflow to trigger off that cell but still doesnt work.


Observation:

  1. smartsheet not recognizing new inputs from a Form as data to be 'Saved' (probably intended but not helpful for me!)
  2. no workflow option to trigger a 'Save' ( and i believe a 'change in a cell is triggered by a 'Save'..) , so even if the Form input was recognized in the form, I can't execute a 'Save' to trigger the workflow and initiate a 'Request for Update' to the user.


Are there any workarounds to my workaround ?? ;-)


Rick

Answers

  • Ok, I think I understand, but I might be missing something. You are trying to trigger a workflow based on data that is entered from a form. You can create a trigger for a workflow, based on the creation of a new row from that form. It sounds like the trigger is not working right based on your data as there should be no 'save' issue. We have multiple 'request updates' that are triggered based on specific information that is being put in. We run these as they are triggered, based on the row changing.

    If you want to share screenshots of what you are trying to do, i would take a look at it.

  • Rick Girard
    Rick Girard ✭✭✭✭✭

    Hey Samuel

    What you're missing (my err) , is that cells within rows have menu items (status, etc) that need to change. this repeated access and input/change is what i want to redirect via triggering the sheet to sent a Request for Update and use the Form as input/upd rather than going into the sheet manually.

    So this is not a new row being added , its updating cells in an existing row.


    The process 'would' work like this:

    Input Request Form - submit an input (ie. check box = checked)

    Intake sheet reflects the checked box in a row on the intake sheet

    Workflow set to trigger on update in sheet (ie. checked box)

    Workflow initiates Request Update email to the assigned user (named in cell)

    Update is complete (ex. status in cell changed from Review to Approved_)

    Workflow detect change in cell status to (ex. cell = 'Approved' ) and clears check box (=unchecked)

Help Article Resources

Want to practice working with formulas directly in Smartsheet?

Check out the Formula Handbook template!