Suggestion for API/workarounds/Add-Ons to copy a large folder/folder size limitations?

Kayla

I am trying to copy a Folder and stumbled into the 100 Item copy maximum (uhh....there are so many size limitations using this platform).

I reduced the # of items in the Folder to 59. When I am trying to copy it, it's timing out each time. I have tried over a couple of days to make sure there wasn't a server issue, but no luck. The Sheets in the Folder are very large, and I assume that is why it's timing out. 

Time Out Error - Smartsheet - 2021 Folder.png

Does anyone have any API/other workarounds to get around either the 100 item copy maximum or copying a Folder that contains large items in it?

Other Note: I do have a Support ticket into Smartsheet, but based on past experience, that will not be useful. And I have put in an Enhancement Request to allow more items to be copied at one time.

Julio S.

Hi @Kayla,

Since you have already raised an enhancement request to expand the maximum of 100 items announced in this article and you have opened a new ticket to investigate your current road-block when copying 59 folders, I'd suggest to go with what support advises in this case as that doesn't look like the expected behavior.

I hope this can be of help.

Cheers!

Julio

Brett Wyrick

Hey Kayla. If you're running into large load issues like that, have you considered... folderception?!

Create Folders within the Folder you're wanting to move, move your items into those folders.

Then for the API stuff, create a NEW folder, then copy the smaller folders individually to that new folder? Tedious workaround, but hey, it just might work.

Just throwing that out there as an idea. Sorry you're running into issues. If you discover a workaround (or whatever SS gives you), post it here for anyone's sake who's looking into a similar issue.

Kayla

@Brett Wyrick, I wish this would work. All the Sheets are very interconnected, so they have to be copied together and at one time to maintain that relationship. I have gotten a response from Support and they’ve been working on it for a few days, no resolution yet on the timing out issue but I am hopeful.

and for the 100+ item copy limitation, it seems like I am stuck. For now, I am going to pull out reports to get me under 100 and those source sheets will need updated and I think that can be done with an API, but if not, it’s a 2 hour ish task that I’ll need to do at the start of each year. Not ideal, but a workaround.

Very hopeful SMartsheet has increasing all of these size, row, copy, column, reference, etc. limitations on their roadmap soon because this will be significantly more valuable to users than these new features.

Thanks for your response and the idea!

Brett Wyrick

@Kayla, wish I had a better answer for you. I agree they should increase the size of the limitations! There's a few things with the API that just seem oddly limited (like this) to just plain forgotten (like renaming Reports - I can rename every other item in a Folder, but I can't rename Reports using the API). Hopefully updates come soon, but there's other features I think they'll likely work on first, sadly.

David_Sidon

likewise pulling out reports making my solution sub-optimal. I run this as a banking simulation model for banking schools and training events (up to 16 teams x 5 years) - A “school” is comprised of up to 16 unique teams, each of which need a folder with a driving Smartsheet and associated reports / dashboard - Ideally, each team has the Smartsheet, separate reports for Balance Sheet, P&L, Statement of Cash Flows, Key Performance Indicators and Effective Interest Rates, as well as a dashboard, which, as you know would need its own unique supporting reports - forgetting supporting reports for the dashboards, we’re at 7 x 16 = 112 files, before the necessary 20 admin sheets/reports. We could squeeze a few of those together but it would significantly lessen usability and effectiveness 

So, for now, we’re leaving a few reports (effective rates and Cash Flows) and the dashboard on the sidelines until the arbitrary “100” is increased

If I had the ability to “save as new” up to 250 files, my work-arounds could die a natural death and save me a boodle of time - not sure where Smartsheet's blockage comes from

I'm talking to a university where each B-school student would run this independently which would necessitate 20, 30 40 folders each with 5, 6, 7, 8 files - I can't deliver until Smartsheet delivers

Dave Sidon, Lead Banquer, banquesim.com