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.
