Can't Find Sheet to Set Up a Workflow

Pamela Wagner · 07/31/23

tl;dr: I've set up the same workflow before but can't for this particular sheet.

I have set up many workflows and have not had an issue until today. I have a workflow for one particularly sheet so that when the work is done, the row will move to the archive sheet. For this example I will say that the Active sheet is "Intake Active" and the Archive sheet is "Intake Archive". This works with no issue and I confirmed today that when I try to set up a new workflow with both of those sheets, the Archive sheet is located. When I try that with two new sheets "IT/AB Active" and "IT/AB Archive" it will not find "IT/AB Archive". In fact when I'm in the "IT/AB Active" sheet and told it to search for "Intake Archive" it would not find it even though, as noted above, "Intake Archive" is being used in other workflows. I thought perhaps it is the "/" in the name I can see that is not an issue since it will find "IT/AB Weekly" and "IT/AB Monthly" but it will not find "IT/AB Archive".

The only thing that I can determine is that my Intake Active and Archive sheets are in a Workspace while the IT/AB Active and Archive sheets are in my Sheets folder. Could that be why it's not finding the sheets? That they have to be in a Workspace?? It doesn't seem to matter though that both sheets are in the Sheets folder.

I am an Admin on all of these sheets so that can't be it. Also the "about results" notes that it will only bring up the first 100 sheets with the name but in this case it's saying the file doesn't exist. What am I doing wrong?

Genevieve P. · 08/01/23

Hey @Pamela Wagner

Based on your explanation it does sound like you're meeting the criteria Paul identified. As long as the owner of the original sheet is shared to your other sheet as an Admin, you should be able to select it in the workflow.

It is possible that the / is affecting the search. What happens when you search just for the word "Archive"?

Note that if you only JUST created the sheet, it can take around 5 minutes for the search to index and include it as an option.

Cheers,

Genevieve

Paul Newcome · 07/31/23

The location shouldn't matter. I see you are set as an Admin on both sheet, but there is also a requirement for the owner(s) of the sheets. The owner of one sheet must also be set as an Admin on the other sheet.

Pamela Wagner · 07/31/23

The "about results" seems to indicate this is an OR option not an AND when it comes to Owner/Admin.

I was working with the Admin on the IT/AB sheets. He's the Admin on one (Active) and the Owner on the other (Archive). So you have to be an Owner on both of the sheets in order to do this?? That really doesn't seem right or efficient. In our scenario it seems that we meet that criteria...I think??

Paul Newcome · 07/31/23

Both the owner of the source sheet (in this case the owner of the sheet you are setting the automation up in) as well as the person setting the automation up (in this case you) must be Owner or Admin on the destination sheet.

Genevieve P. · 08/01/23

Hey @Pamela Wagner

Based on your explanation it does sound like you're meeting the criteria Paul identified. As long as the owner of the original sheet is shared to your other sheet as an Admin, you should be able to select it in the workflow.

It is possible that the / is affecting the search. What happens when you search just for the word "Archive"?

Note that if you only JUST created the sheet, it can take around 5 minutes for the search to index and include it as an option.

Cheers,

Genevieve

Pamela Wagner · 08/01/23

I think it does have to be the Owner/Admin issue and I'm having the Admin on that sheet check that out. I don't think it's the "/" since when the Admin of the sheet tries to create the workflow, he will search on "IT/AB" and other sheets with that text will show up.

Thinking that if the issue is "Owner/Admin" the help feature needs to be more clear as right now, it notes OR not that the Owner has to be on both sheets (either as Owner or Admin).

More testing to come!

Paul Newcome · 08/01/23

It does indicate that though. In your screenshot with the red arrow, it says it will only show sheets where "both you and the source sheet owner have Owner or Admin permissions".

This means that the owner of the workflow (you) and the owner of the source sheet (sheet containing the workflow) need to both have either Admin or Owner level permissions on the destination sheet.

Pamela Wagner · 08/01/23

Thanks Paul! I FINALLY got it!

Paul Newcome · 08/01/23

Happy to help. 👍️

Heald33 · 02/16/24

I'm having the same issue. I am the owner of the source sheet, and admin of the destination sheet. I can't see the destination sheet when I try to setup a workflow.

Does it matter that the source sheet is in a workspace and the destination sheet is in sheets?

csweigart · 03/06/24

I'm having the same issue. I am the owner of both the source sheet and the owner of the destination sheet. I can't see the destination sheet when I try to set up a workflow which was built a day earlier. I have been a licensed Smartsheet person for several years and have never experienced this issue. I have been told to wait to see if the search will bring back any result, but it never does.

Any help you can provide would be very much appreciated.

Genevieve P. · 03/07/24

Hi @csweigart

Can you try testing if copying the entire sheet name, pasting that in, and hitting enter works for you? Another member mentioned that their sheet showed when the entire name was pasted in. Copying it also helps reduce the possibility of typos.

Yasser Yasin · 08/21/24

I have been trying to include one of my smartsheet in a Slack workflow, but I'm unable to find it in Slack. I'm the owner of the sheet and I have also tried copy pasting the full name of the sheet to avoid typos.

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