Hi Builders,
You’ve been asking versions of the same question in this community: when do I use Smart Assist, when an automation, when MCP, and when plain API code? 🤔 So we’re starting a new series, the Smartsheet Builders Series: Building with Smartsheet MCP and Agents, and the first post tackles exactly that.
📖 Smart Assist, Automations, MCP or the API: How to Choose
👉
https://www.smartsheet.com/content-center/managing-work/project-management/smart-assist-automations-mcp-or-api
What’s inside:
💬 Smart Assist: the work is inside one sheet and you’re there to check the result
⚡ Automations: one-sentence rules that run the same way every time (and yes, you can now just ask for them)
🔌 MCP: your own AI tool working with live data across sheets and systems
💻 API: code that must behave identically on every run
For each option you get what it’s good for, where it bites, and a sign you’ve picked the wrong one.
My favorite part is “the ladder”: explore loose, harden tight. 🪜 Ask your AI client a question. If you’re asking the same one for the fifth Monday in a row, that question has stabilized, and it deserves a sturdier home. The post walks through that with a real example, including a tested Python function.
You’ll also find a plan-by-plan note on what each option requires, a quick take on where Bridge and connectors like Zapier fit, and a four-question check you can run in sixty seconds. ⏱️
Your turn! 🙌 Which of these do you reach for first, and where did it stop being the right one? Share what you tried and where it broke. The best parts of this post came from members doing exactly that.
📌 Coming next: how to use the AI you already have on your real work, and what to check before you connect it (your AI client, your plan, your region).
🎤 And if you’ll be at ENGAGE 2026, join us for From API Confidence to AI Readiness on November 5, 4:00–5:00 PM. A solid API foundation puts you closer to AI-ready than you think. 😊
See you in the comments! 💙
