Display Welcome message with current user's name on a Dashboard

Automations 1 · 04/23/21

Hi,

I have a dashboard with many "Current User" reports. I would like a message on top of the dashboard to appear that says "Welcome" and then the current user's name.

What's the best way to go about doing this? I don't want to pull a report that has the current user's name on it because then you see the column header and grey column and row lines... I'm assuming I need a metric widget, I'm just not sure where to pull the name from, how will it change based on whoever is currently viewing the dashboard?

Thanks!

Paul Newcome · 04/23/21

The only way to really do this would be to set up a "sign in" sheet with a form where the user enters their name into the form and clicks on Submit. Have the form set to populate at the top of the sheet and to send the user to a specific URL upon submission (which would be the URL for the dashboard).

Then in a sheet summary field on the "sign in" sheet you can use

="Welcome " + INDEX([User Name]:[User Name], 1)

On your dashboard you would have a metrics widget referencing the summary field and just make sure the dashboard is not set to automatically refresh.

So the user would "Sign In" using the form and be immediately directed to the dashboard that should have their name at the top.

Automations 1 · 04/23/21

I don't want them to have to type their name in.... I want it to happen automatically. Any other ideas?

Paul Newcome · 04/23/21

That's the only way to have it happen. There is no way to pull "Current User" for display.

Automations 1 · 04/23/21

ok, thanks. I'll submit an enhancement request. 😀

Andrée Starå · 04/23/21

Hi @Rivky Emert

I hope you're well and safe!

To add to Paul's excellent advice/answer.

If you set the form, so they have to log in to access it, you could have them confirm something, and you'll get the name from the Created By column and that that would show up in the Dashboard.

Make sense?

Would 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 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!

Automations 1 · 04/26/21

Thanks @Andrée Starå. I really don't want them to have to do anything manual in order for them to see their name. Thanks anyways.

shschwartz · 02/09/22

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/78718/display-welcome-message-with-current-users-name-on-a-dashboard

Here's a simple, workable solution:

In my Data Sheet of Employees, I created an additional column titled "Welcome to Your Task Portal". In that column, I set a formula to concatenate the two separate name columns (Last and First) to display the merged First + Last names in this Column to read normally.

Now I run a report against the Data Sheet of Employees with just that one column filtered by Current User. I hide the mandatory Primary Column the report wants to show. The column header is the "Welcome" and I rotate out the Widget Report Title at the top with short quotes I come up with.

Maybe this will help. Sorry Paul and Andree, but this really is a way without filling out some form. ;)

shschwartz · 02/09/22

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/comment/319063#Comment_319063

I've been at this way longer than this user name suggests. This is under a new account I have consulting with this company.

Paul Newcome · 02/09/22

@shschwartz Yes. That technically does work, but the original post specifically stated they did not want to use a report that was filtered by current user. Our solutions were an attempt at avoiding that.

shschwartz · 02/09/22

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/comment/319099#Comment_319099

And I gave them a nice way to help the column naming/graphics part they didn't want to see. But you all didn't focus on that. Good day.

Andrée Starå · 02/09/22

@shschwartz

Excellent workaround!

Thanks for sharing!

Paul Newcome · 02/10/22

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/comment/319166#Comment_319166

Yes. I will agree that your solution does help with certain parts, but it still shows the column header which was specifically mentioned as part of the problem.

My focus was on the poster's request: how to do it without using a report.

I am not saying that your solution does not work for some. I am simply saying that it does not solve this particular request of not using a report.

shschwartz · 02/11/22

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/comment/319282#Comment_319282

Geez man. I assume everyone realized Smartsheet is filled with graphic compromises. I highly doubt this would have a negative impact on the end user, and it's utterly simple for the admin. I'd be curious as to their reply. Given the traditional header look, maybe. But this works and my users have never said "eww, a header above my name". Forest for the trees?? Look a bit beyond the literal. If they has said "only with .5 point cell dividing lines in hex color #ff8000" would you have immediately said NO as well?

Paul Newcome · 02/28/22

@shschwartz If the user asks for something specific (or to avoid something specific) then I respond with the best answer I can think of that fits what they are asking for. If they had asked for "only with .5 point cell dividing lines in hex color #ff8000" then I would have let them know that level of detail is not available in SS. If someone asks to avoid something for a very specific reason, I am not going to reply with "Here is a solution that incorporates exactly what you didn't want."

There are some occasions where the reasons for avoiding a specific feature indicate that maybe the feature isn't completely understood, so I will ask for more detail as to why or ask if they had already tried it a certain way.

But in this case the user said they did not want to use a report for a very specific reason (didn't want the column header among others), so they were provided options that avoided using a report.

As I said... Your solution may work for some, but in this particular case, you used exactly what the poster was wanting to avoid (the column header in a report). I'm not saying you are wrong. I am simply saying that it may not be the best fit in this one particular instance and that the solutions previously provided were an attempt at working with the poster's requests/requirements.

Display Welcome message with current user's name on a Dashboard

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