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Update Request Customization - descriptions and headers like a Form

Stacie Armstrong

The update requests are not always easy to explain with the limitations in the column header. It would be very beneficial and extremely useful to allow the user to create update requests like you would a form.

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Update Requests

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Elwin Van Greunen

Good day,

When a request an update automation is set up, please consider the following idea

Smartsheet - Request 1.jpg

In the email received, do not include the field names in the body of the email. It is confusing, have no function and takes up unnecessary space. let the user rather focus on the "Open Request" button to perform the request. See screenshot attached.

Cassandra M

Smartsheet Forms are an excellent way to collect information, especially with the addition of conditional logic, required fields, and file uploads. However, one significant remains: Forms can only create new rows.

Many organizations use Smartsheet to manage business processes throughout the lifecycle of an existing record. In these scenarios, we don't need to create a new row - we need to collect additional information and update the row that already exists.

Examples include:

Membership renewals
Vendor onboarding and management
Contract renewals
Employee onboarding and offboarding
Equipment requests
Compliance reviews
Annual certifications
Project approvals

Currently, organizations must choose between:

Forms, which provide a modern, user-friendly experience with conditional logic, required fields, and file uploads, but always create duplicate records.
Update Requests, which update the correct row but lack the flexibility, usability, and guided experience that Forms provide.

A Form-Based Update Request would combine the best of both features by allowing a workflow to send a customizable form that updates the existing row that triggered the automation.

Benefits

Eliminates duplicate records.
Provides a significantly better user experience.
Allows conditional logic when updating existing records.
Supports required fields, file uploads, and field instructions.
Improves data quality and completion rates.
Simplifies workflows for users who should never have to edit the underlying sheet.
Reduces administrative effort while preserving a complete audit trail.
Makes Smartsheet even more valuable for organizations managing recurring business processes and multi-step workflows.

Many organizations use Smartsheet to manage process that evolve over weeks, months, or even years. Allowing Forms to update existing rows would greatly simplify these workflows while maintaining a single source of truth throughout the lifecycle of a record.

Smartsheet already knows which row triggered the workflow. Allowing a Form to update that same row feels like the natural next evolution of Forms and Workflow Automation.

Thank you for considering this enhancement. I believe it would benefit organizations across virtually every industry and become one of the most impactful workflow improvements available in Smartsheet.

Saavik1

Allowing logic like in the forms would also be nice. Basically, it would be a form with some fields pre-filled.

LeelaLodhi03

This is much needed, as Update Requests are often the main way our teams report progress.

Two things would make the biggest difference:

Help text/column descriptions shown to the recipient. Column names alone often aren't enough to explain what to enter or in what format, which leads to incorrect entries and follow-up questions.
Conditional logic, so fields appear only when relevant.