Automated Workflow Notification issue

Jack Parry

Smartsheet workflow 2.png

Smartsheet workflow 1.png

Hi, I have an automated workflow set up that is supposed to notify a requestor when the request is complete.

Logic: Request has completed, creators moves status to 'Complete' and when New/Edit is set to 'Edit'. Alert contact in 'Requested By' that Edit Request has been completed.

At the moment, the notification doesn't seem to work.

Jeff Reisman

That's strange. In your process, the last thing to change is the status to Complete, yes? If the status is changed to complete, the row is saved, and THEN New/Edit is changed from New to Edit, the notification wouldn't fire.

Other things to try:

Delete and recreate the workflow.

Remove the / from the New/Edit column name. Special characters in column names aren't supposed to cause issues, but I have my doubts.

Save the sheet as a new sheet and test in the new sheet.

Jeff Reisman

@Jack Parry

So unless custom field data is included in notification messages, Smartsheet likes to send alerts in groups. When an alert workflow is triggered, Smartsheet waits a minute or so to see if other alerts get triggered at about the same time, and if so, sends them together. With the change of status triggering both the alert and Move Row, by the time Smartsheet goes to fire off the notification portion, the row it's looking to send info about is gone!

There are a few ways as far prioritization goes.

One way is to add a Record a Date action to the end of the notification workflow, and place the current date into a helper date column. Then set your Move rows automation to be triggered 1 day after that date.

Another way would be to set the Move row workflow to run on an hourly basis, where it looks for rows with Status = Complete and New/Edit = Edit. Then your chance of the workflows stepping on each other is slim unless you're updating the row like a minute before the hour.

Jeff Reisman

@Jack Parry

Are your "Requested By" contacts using emails from within your organization?

Notification permissions can be a little tricky. There are two levels of notification permissions - sheet level and org level. I believe org level permissions override sheet level permissions.

If your "Requested By" contacts are outside your org, and not necessarily shared to the sheet, you'll want to set the sheet Automation permissions to Unrestricted:

If it's not you, have your Smartsheet System Admin check the org level Automation permissions under the security section in Smartsheet Admin Center:

Set Notification and Requests permissions to Anyone:

Jack Parry

@Jeff Reisman

'Requested By' contacts are within the organisation and the automation workflow was already set as unrestricted.

I'll reach out to the site admin, to find out about the Security settings!

Jeff Reisman

@Jack Parry

The person making the change and the Request By contact are different people, yes?

If they're the same person, (or you're testing as the person making the change and the contact in Requested By is also you,) and the user has their personal notification settings set to not include their own changes in sheet notifications, they wouldn't get notified. Make sure these are all checked in your personal settings:

Jack Parry

@Jeff Reisman the person setting the status to complete and the person requesting are different people.

I've tried testing it myself, (setting the status to complete and being the 'requestor') and have all the notifications above switched on. Still no luck

Jack Parry

@Jeff Reisman Also just checked with our admin and the security settings match your screenshots.

Seems to be a sheet or workflow issue..

Jeff Reisman

That's strange. In your process, the last thing to change is the status to Complete, yes? If the status is changed to complete, the row is saved, and THEN New/Edit is changed from New to Edit, the notification wouldn't fire.

Other things to try:

Delete and recreate the workflow.

Remove the / from the New/Edit column name. Special characters in column names aren't supposed to cause issues, but I have my doubts.

Save the sheet as a new sheet and test in the new sheet.

Jack Parry

@Jeff Reisman The last thing to change is the status from 'In Review' to 'Complete'. There are 2 automations that should happen, a notification should fire off to the requestor telling them their request is complete and then the row itself moves to a Completed sheet. (the 2nd automation works fine)

New/Edit is already present on the row as its submitted as part of the request form. (I actually have another workflow with the same principle but its 'new' instead of edit, neither work)

I'm wondering if the 2 automations above are conflicting with each other? Its moving the row before alerting the user?

Jack Parry

@Jeff Reisman Resolved. Moved the notification workflow to the completed sheet. Is there a way to prioritise the workflow order?

Jeff Reisman

@Jack Parry

So unless custom field data is included in notification messages, Smartsheet likes to send alerts in groups. When an alert workflow is triggered, Smartsheet waits a minute or so to see if other alerts get triggered at about the same time, and if so, sends them together. With the change of status triggering both the alert and Move Row, by the time Smartsheet goes to fire off the notification portion, the row it's looking to send info about is gone!

There are a few ways as far prioritization goes.

One way is to add a Record a Date action to the end of the notification workflow, and place the current date into a helper date column. Then set your Move rows automation to be triggered 1 day after that date.

Another way would be to set the Move row workflow to run on an hourly basis, where it looks for rows with Status = Complete and New/Edit = Edit. Then your chance of the workflows stepping on each other is slim unless you're updating the row like a minute before the hour.