How do I set SmartSheet to include attachments on the emails that it sends from automation?

Andrée Starå · 02/09/21

Hi @Aneesah Serrano

I hope you're well and safe!

It's moved. Click on the Customize message option, and you'll see it.

Did that work/help?

I hope that helps!

Be safe and have a fantastic week!

Best,

Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

✅Did my post(s) help or answer your question or solve your problem? Please help the Community by marking it as the accepted answer/helpful. It will make it easier for others to find a solution or help to answer!

Aneesah Serrano · 02/10/21

@Andrée Starå - Hi! Thanks for responding.

Not quite. I did find the 'Customize Message' field that allows me to select the 'add attachment' option, but when I perform a test of the automation, it does not include the attachment in the email, but a link to the smartsheet.

What I'm trying to do is automate a customized email message to an 'email contact' in a 'contact field' to include a message in the body of the email with a document attached when a 'date field' is triggered. Not sure if this is possible. Additionally, can I add one attachment for each row on the sheet?

Cidnie Hoang · 02/10/21

I also have a question.

When creating alerts, is there a way to not include the link to the sheet but still have the selected fields displayed in the automation email? I have many instances where the attachments did not go through and the recipients clicked on the link to the sheet assuming that is where they can access the files. Also, when the attachments did go through, they are located at the very bottom of the email which can be easily missed. Could they be moved to the top above the fields instead?

Genevieve P. · 02/22/21

Hi @Aneesah Serrano and @Cidnie Hoang

Attachments are only sent if they are added or updated at the same time as the trigger for the workflow (please see the Help Center article Action Blocks: Specify What Kind of Automation is Triggered for more information).

The alert will only send the most recent attachment(s) made in the workflow, but yes you can add multiple attachments on each Smartsheet row (see: Attachments).

You may want to set the trigger to be when an attachment is added, to ensure that it's included each time, and then set up Conditions to filter the rows in the alert.

As an alternative, you could set up an Update Request type of workflow. Then lock all the columns you don't want them to edit, and set up perhaps one "checkbox" update to verify they received the email (or something similar). The Update Request form in the email will contain the attachments to view, but the user will need to open the form to see them.

There currently isn't a way to customize where the attachments appear in the emailed alert or the Update Request. Please provide your feedback to our product team by adding your vote and voice to this related Product Idea: Automations: include attachments

Cheers,

Genevieve

GetITDone · 03/05/21

I find that during update requests, that for each request on the same flow, when each person attaches something, at the end of the workflow (an alert) there will be 3 attachments showing. Is it possible to have at the end of the last update where only the very last attachment can be sent? In other words I only want 1 (very last attachment) out of the 3 to be automatically sent to the contractor and the other 2 docs remain internal. thanks

Genevieve P. · 03/09/21

Hi @GetITDone

Since your process is all in one workflow, the attachments are added at the same time as the trigger for the Alert. This means that all three will show - the alert is unable to separate which one you want to show versus which one you don't.

Could you potentially split up your process into multiple update requests (instead of 1) and have the attachments added at different times?

MONICA BUENDIA · 05/28/21

Hello,

noticed this comment above:

"If you do not want your recipients to be able to make changes to the sheet, you can lock the columns that are sent in the Update Request fields. "

How do you do this?

Thank you.

Genevieve P. · 05/28/21

Hi @MONICA BUENDIA

You would need to lock the column in the sheet itself by right-clicking on the column name and choosing this option in the drop-down list, like so:

Screen Shot 2021-05-28 at 3.06.35 PM.png

See: Lock or Unlock Columns and Rows

Keep in mind that users shared to the sheet with Admin permissions are able to edit Locked columns so these fields would be editable if you send the update request to an Admin. Does that help?

Cheers!

Genevieve

Jo-Ann Turning · 10/18/21

hi...I have created some automations that are used to general monthly "update request" emails. I would love to attach a general FAQ document to the emails because I am answering the same questions over and over about the process. Is it possible to attach to UPDATE REQUEST or ALERT EMAILS. I don't have the "Advanced Options" choice on my automations??? see screenshot. Thanks for any suggestions

FAQquestion.JPG

Andrée Starå · 10/18/21

Hi @Jo-Ann Turning

I hope you're well and safe!

Try this.

Community - (Sep-21) - Smartsheet.com 2021-10-18 at 10.03.50 PM.jpg

Did that work/help?

I hope that helps!

Be safe and have a fantastic week!

Best,

Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

✅Did my post(s) help or answer your question or solve your problem? Please support the Community by marking it Insightful/Vote Up or/and as the accepted answer. It will make it easier for others to find a solution or help to answer!

Aneesah Serrano · 10/18/21

Following this for a resolution as I've been searching for a "fix" for this. I believe what she's asking is if we can attach a document to an automation customized message. For example, a document that might include instructions on how to update the sheet or general information, FAQ, etc...around a project.

Kayla Q · 08/26/22

@Paul Newcome or @Andrée Starå I've got a question.

I don't even see the "Advanced Options" option:

Do you think my organization has this locked down?

Andrée Starå · 08/27/22

Hi @Kayla Q

It moved a while ago.

Click on the Customize message text, and you'll see the following.

Did that work/help?

I hope that helps!

Be safe, and have a fantastic weekend!

Best,

Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

✅Did my post(s) help or answer your question or solve your problem? Please support the Community by marking it Insightful/Vote Up, Awesome, or/and as the accepted answer. It will make it easier for others to find a solution or help to answer!

Kayla Q · 08/29/22

Hi @Andrée Starå that does help.

Unfortunately, I really dislike how the only option will also provide a link to the Smartsheet - I really don't want that.

I want only the attachment and a customized message, but I don't see a way to achieve that.

Chris Kleinheksel · 11/01/22

Solved. Create a workflow to add a 'dummy' mapping document. I added a blank page with one form fill-in option (hidden at the bottom). Then create and update the email tied to the Attachments trigger - in my example, the mapping document will add to the attachments when the primary column changes to 'test'. When this happens a document is added. When the document is added it triggers the attachments workflow, which requires an attachment to be added and primary column to be 'test' - this avoids emails when users add the attachments. 'TEST' is the equivalent to 'complete' for me.

How do I set SmartSheet to include attachments on the emails that it sends from automation?

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