Alert a form user

Carlee Schiffner · 01/25/22

I am wanting to alert a form user when their request is complete.

So the user submits a form for their requested service. We have a status column in the grid. When the status is changed to complete, I would like the user who submitted the form to receive an alert. Is this possible?

Thank you!

Jeff Reisman · 01/25/22

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/87259/alert-a-form-user

If you require your submitters to be logged into Smartsheet, then their login is captured in a system column called "Created By", which is populated behind the scenes and visible/workable in your sheet by adding it as a system column. Then just create an automation rule to email the created by user when status changes to Complete. (When you add this Created By column to an existing sheet, the created by data for the existing rows is populated automatically.)

If you aren't requiring submitters to login, you can either create a Contact List field with dropdown user choices for them to select their name/email on the form, or add an email field and require them to enter an email address for confirmation. Then of course have your automation rule alert go to that contact or email adress.

Jeff Reisman · 01/25/22

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/87259/alert-a-form-user

If you require your submitters to be logged into Smartsheet, then their login is captured in a system column called "Created By", which is populated behind the scenes and visible/workable in your sheet by adding it as a system column. Then just create an automation rule to email the created by user when status changes to Complete. (When you add this Created By column to an existing sheet, the created by data for the existing rows is populated automatically.)

If you aren't requiring submitters to login, you can either create a Contact List field with dropdown user choices for them to select their name/email on the form, or add an email field and require them to enter an email address for confirmation. Then of course have your automation rule alert go to that contact or email adress.

Carlee Schiffner · 01/25/22

Thank you!

Cassie_Hall · 03/16/22

Hi @Jeff Reisman

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/comment/317288#Comment_317288

If you can't use a contact list drop down due to large org. list. If I ask for someone email in a field. How Can I have the alert pull that email address?

I tried Alert Someone, then Send to contacts in Cell but that Cell (Submitter Email) is not an option.

Options are .......

"Specific People" this would be same person each time,

"Contacts in a Cell" this right now is only appearing when I have a contact list drop down

"Everyone on shared to this sheet" which doesnt apply to use case.

Do you know a workaround or how to get this to Alert the submitter email they provide to me?

Thank you!

Jeff Reisman · 03/16/22

Bummer, I thought that would work...

I tested it and it only works if the email address is for a user who is shared to the sheet or an existing contact.

Being able to send alerts to any email address in a cell would be great, or even an option to convert submitted email addresses into Contacts on the sheet....

Please submit a product enhancement request for these features here!

Smartsheet Product Enhancement Requests

Cassie_Hall · 03/16/22

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/comment/322932#Comment_322932

@Jeff Reisman

Thanks for your feedback. I submitted a enhancement requests.

Jeff Reisman · 03/17/22

@Cassie_Hall

Some good news - I think I got this to work!

Create a Contact column with no Contacts listed in the column properties. Add it to your form as the place for the user to put their email address.

When they submit the row, the system converts their email address to a Contact data type in the field.

Set your automation to send to the Contact in that column when the row changes and when the Status changes to Complete.

I was able to get this to work and send an alert to my son's email address (since I know his address was not in our system before.)

Ella · 03/17/22

@Jeff Reisman Hi Jeff, are you saying you were able to send an alert to an e-mail outside of your domain? Like gmail or yahoo account for example or just to another domain account who was not shared to the sheet?

Jeff Reisman · 03/17/22

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/comment/323006#Comment_323006

Yes. The alert sends to contacts in a cell. I used a form to add my son's gmail address to the contact cell and submitted the entry. In the sheet, I made a cell change that triggered the automation that sends n alert to the contacts in a cell, which had my son's gmail in it. His email address is not associated with any Smartsheet user account.

Ella · 03/18/22

@Jeff Reisman thanks! This sounds great, but I am not able to reproduce on my end. I keep getting this from Smartsheet

Workflow Delivery Alert

The following people included in the Sheet Link/Outsider e-mail Test workflow for "Tracking MASTER" are not currently being notified:

xxxx@gmail.com

If you want them to receive notifications, share them to Tracking MASTER or change your Automation permissions to a less restrictive setting. Find out how

There is nothing more I can do with my Automation permissions as they are completely unrestricted. Any idea what could I be missing here?

Jeff Reisman · 03/18/22

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/comment/323157#Comment_323157

There are sheet-level Automation permissions and account-level Automation permissions. Make sure the sheet-level permissions are unrestricted as well.

https://help.smartsheet.com/articles/2476586-control-who-is-notified-about-alerts-and-requests

Sheet-level: