Workflow Trigger Notifications Not Working

Chris Hawthorne

We have a workflow set to email an assignee (Program Manager Alert - email POC) when a trigger is tripped (Contracts Approval = YES).

I have verified that my ACCOUNT settings are set to UNRESTRICTED for notifications. I have verified that my SHEET settings are set to UNRESTRICTED for notifications. I have duplicated the workflow and deleted the original, deleted and re-invited the users, etc.

It appears as though Licensed Smartsheet Users are receiving the email notifications, but Unlicensed Users are NOT....despite my UNRESTRICTED settings from above.

Can anyone help to solve this mystery?

Jeff Reisman

Can you share some screenshots of your workflow settings (trigger, conditions, action)?

When you say SHEET settings are unrestricted for notifications, are you talking about this?

And for ACCOUNT permissions, you are referring to the "Notifications and Requests" setting under Security & Controls in the Admin Center, yes?

Chris Hawthorne

Yes, I have those settings for both the SHEET and ACCOUNT level privileges. People with licensed user accounts are receiving the alerts, but unlicensed users are not receiving email alerts.

SS-Capture.PNG

Jeff Reisman

Have you tried sending to email addresses in a regular column vs contacts in a contact column?

Chris Hawthorne

How exactly would I do that? I've tried to setup text columns with email addresses, but the workflow seems to only accept contacts from a contact list as an option.

Jeff Reisman

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/comment/318382#Comment_318382

Duh, that was not smart of me! Of course you can't do that...

OK, just to test it out, does the email get sent if you use the "send to specific people" option and list an email of an unlicensed user?

Chris Hawthorne

Yes, the alerts at the bottom of that PNG are notifying Jeremy Herhei (see picture) and I've confirmed that Brent receives an alert when the PM APPROVES the message. Brent is the person that is NOT receiving the other messages.

Jeff Reisman

I think what this is coming down to is the fact that you're using an Approval process workflow. According to Smartsheet, "creating, owning, administering, or driving a process, program, or project in Smartsheet requires a paid license."

https://help.smartsheet.com/articles/520100-user-types

However, all is not lost! You just may have to divide your approval process into a few separate workflows.

Unlicensed users can still receive update requests. You can have them update the row or rows by adding or selecting data (Approved vs Not Approved?) or checking boxes, etc. Any of these changes can be set in other workflows as triggers to send update requests (or maybe even approval requests to licensed users?) to the next people in the workflow.

In one of my systems, I have an update request get sent to an unlicensed user based on a value populated by lookup from another sheet (ex. If this value changes to 001, send an update request to Monica, if it changes to 002, send update request to Linda, etc.) These users fill in their data and check a box in the update request to submit to the next stage or workflow, which triggers update requests to 5 other unlicensed users, and so on.

Try it out and let us know how it works!

Chris Hawthorne

I've changed my workflow to ultimately convert the action from REQUEST FOR APPROVAL to REQUEST FOR UPDATES. The unlicensed users are still NOT receiving the updates.

Jeff Reisman

I don't know what's going on with your system. I finally got around to just setting up some testing and for my unlicensed user account, I was able to receive both update AND Approval requests, and work both. Both were sent to Contacts in a cell, where my unlicensed user was the Contact.

For your update requests, you should be able to see if the update request is being created:

If the update requests are being created, and your unlicensed users are NOT receiving them, this may be an email issue, where the receiving domain is blocking them. You can test this by adding an unlicensed user account with a Gmail address, as Gmail does allow Smartsheet update requests to go through. (My unlicensed user acct is my personal Gmail account.) If your Gmail user gets them, then you have your real culprit.

Jeff Reisman

My approval workflow automation: