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Cell Link issues? - helpful workaround tool

Debbie Sawyer
Debbie Sawyer ✭✭✭✭✭✭
in Show & Tell

If you are experiencing any issues with cell links returning blank entries (when there is data present in the source file) the current resolution is to manually remove the link, save the sheet and then put the link back.

Whilst this activity needs to be logged to Smartsheet Support and their experts are working on a resolution, we have an interim tool that can help identify the "blank cells" and relink them for you.

Reach out to me if you'd like more information.

Kind regards

debbie.sawyer@smarterbusinessprocesses.com

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Comments

  • Stefan
    Stefan ✭✭✭✭✭✭

    Hi Debbie,

    as discussed before, a customer of ours also had so called "stale cell link issues" which were hard to identify. So very welcome tool from SBP!

    Smartsheet Consulting, Solution Building, Training and Support.

    Projects for Processes and for People.

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  • Christina France
    Christina France ✭✭

    Hello,

    I am wondering if there is resolution to this problem. I have a large project I am working on and I am using the desktop app. Each cell link is taking 1-3 attempts before it finally brings the data over. I have tried saving and refreshing, but then have to remove the link and try again. I have tried logging in and out and even rebooting, which does not appear to resolve the problem.

    Thank you

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  • Debbie Sawyer
    Debbie Sawyer ✭✭✭✭✭✭

    @Christina France

    It is certainly worth a conversation Christina to see if our tool is able to help you.

    The best person to contact at SBP would be our CTO @James Harris

    j.harris@smarterbusinessprocesses.com

    I hope this helps.

    Kind regards

    Debbie

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  • axelrodo
    axelrodo ✭✭

    Hi Debbie,

    I have a similar problem, but it's random. Sometimes the linked cell doesn't show any data and remains blank or some sort of a conversion happens between the data from cell A that calculates progress percentage on children shows "100%" changes to "1" in the linked cell B. Should I contact James Harris as well?

    Kind regards,

    Axel

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  • Debbie Sawyer
    Debbie Sawyer ✭✭✭✭✭✭

    @axelrodo Would you like a quick zoom to just expand on this update, then I can see if this is something that we might be able to help you with?

    There is an explanation for the 100% turning into 1, but I just would like to see this in action before saying the initial explanation!

    My email is debbie.sawyer@smarterbusinessprocesses.com

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  • axelrodo
    axelrodo ✭✭

    Thank you Debbie, I have emailed you.

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  • PSExcellence
    PSExcellence ✭✭

    Why does this still happen?? It makes Smartsheet near unreliable/unusable as a system.

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  • Stefan
    Stefan ✭✭✭✭✭✭

    Hi @PSExcellence

    Do you have currently have a problem with cells not updating?

    I ask because the last issue reported in this thread was in 2023. Since then, Smartsheet has raised limits significantly and I did not hear about the described problems in the past months

    Best regards

    Stefan

    Smartsheet Consulting, Solution Building, Training and Support.

    Projects for Processes and for People.

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  • PSExcellence
    PSExcellence ✭✭
    https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/comment/458216#Comment_458216

    Yes, we have this issue intermittantly but it doesn't have anything to do with limits. Just randomly cell links on project sheets will not pull in the information from the linked cell (even though when you double-click it opens up to show the data right there). Smartsheet support's only answer every time is to delete the links, save, and then recreate. With a company the size of ours, it's not scaleable for me to keep doing this. They either need to figure out (and fix) why it happens in the first place, or give "update reporting" via Control Center the ability to repair "broken" links.

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  • Stefan
    Stefan ✭✭✭✭✭✭

    Hi @PSExcellence ,

    Bad news!

    I was really hoping this has been fixed in the backend.


    Did you contact Debbie regarding the tool she mentioned above?
    Might be able to reduce manual work for you. And did you contact Smartsheet support about your intermittent problems, so they know the problem is not fixed?


    greetings

    Stefan

    Smartsheet Consulting, Solution Building, Training and Support.

    Projects for Processes and for People.

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  • Debbie Sawyer
    Debbie Sawyer ✭✭✭✭✭✭

    @PSExcellence

    Oh dear, I too thought this issue had been resolved at root by Smartsheet.

    Please do get in contact, we still have the tool and can discuss how to identify the broken links across your plan and then fix them.

    The behaviour you have identified is the behaviour that we experienced before (which is why we built the tool to identify and fix the links).

    I'll lookout for an email from you.

    Kind regards

    Smarter Business Processes

    Debbie Sawyer

    debbie.sawyer@smarterbusinessprocesses.com

    CSSO (Chief Smartsheet Solutions Officer)

    Smarter Business Processes

    Smartsheet Community Champion & Ambassador

    Book your free consultation   Consultancy | Training | Smarter Apps | API Integration

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  • Julia L Rumburg
    Julia L Rumburg ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited 10/15/24

    @PSExcellenceI hear you! Those pesky sheet references can be tricky sometimes. You're dealing with a frustrating intermittent issue where cell links on sheets aren't always pulling in the information they should, even though the data is there when you double-click.

    .Hang in there! These hiccups can be annoying, but I'm sure you'll get it sorted out. Let me know if you'd like to brainstorm any other potential solutions or workarounds.

    CCMP, Strategy Consultant @ SoftwareX | Rumcastle Consulting

    Check out our Smartsheet Products | YouTube Channel

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