Applies to
- Pro
- Business
- Enterprise
Capabilities
Who can use this capability
Licensed Smartsheet users can create and edit automated workflows. Learn about workflow permissions.
Customize the content of your alerts and requests
Make it easy for recipients to understand alerts and requests by including customized messages and placeholders, or limit the information, so they only see what they need.
To use dynamic placeholders in a change-based workflow, you must set the Trigger block to When triggered.
You can set workflows to run weekly, daily, or at specific times in the day.
To edit an existing workflow
- In the upper-left area of the sheet, select Automation > Manage workflows.
- Hover over the workflow you want to edit and select Edit.
- Edit the alert message content in the workflow builder.
Customizing a message in a workflow
Select Customize message and type your message in the corresponding field.
Keep these things in mind as you write custom messages:
- To create placeholders and further customize the message, use braces ({{Task Name}}).
- The Customize message box has a limit of 2,000 characters.
- When you select Message only, a custom message is required. Otherwise, the message body is optional.
- Use the Send from dropdown to set what appears in the From line of the message.
Customize from name
The send from drop down menu lets you select who you want the alert or message to come from.
The option to Send from my organization is only available for users with enterprise plans and above.
The table shows the from name and reply-to addresses for each alert type.
| From name option selected |
From name notification email | Reply-To email address |
|---|---|---|
| Send from Smartsheet Automation | From name is Smartsheet Automation | Sheet owner’s email address |
| Send from organization name | From name is your organization’s name set by your SysAdmin(s) | Sheet owner’s email address |
| Send from triggering user (for Alerts) | If an alert is triggered by a single user’s change(s) in your sheet, that triggering user’s name will be the from name for the notification email. | The reply to will be the triggering user’s email address |
| Send from triggering user (for Alerts) | If an alert is triggered by multiple users’ changes in your sheet or if the alert is time-based, i.e., a reminder, then the sheet owner’s name will be the from name for the notification email. | The reply to will be the sheet owner’s email address |
| Send from sheet owner (for Update and Approval Requests) | From name is the sheet owner’s name. | Sheet owner’s email address |
Selecting what’s included in an alert or request
In the Message includes section
- Links to sheet and all fields: Include all fields in the sheet.
- Links to sheet and specific fields: Choose only the fields the user needs to see.
- Message only: Use this if you only need to add a message in the alert.
If you’re working with people who don’t use Smartsheet, choosing the Links to sheet and all fields option can be helpful.
Comments and attachments in alerts
- Alert actions in time-based workflows don't include comments and attachments.
- Alert actions in change-based workflows only appear when the attachment or comment is modified at the time of the trigger event. The alert doesn't include attachments and comments that existed prior to the trigger event.
- Update request and approval request actions include all new and existing attachments and comments.
Tips for working with placeholders
When you use placeholders (field names in braces), Smartsheet adds the corresponding unique cell data to the alert message for the row.
- Placeholders in the Approval Requests alert generate a separate notification for every row.
- Placeholders in Alert someone or Update Requests actions in change-based workflows generate separate notifications if six or fewer rows are triggered simultaneously. If seven or more rows are triggered at once, the system removes the custom subject and body.
- With the Message only alert type, any simultaneously triggered rows are combined into a single notification.
- Placeholders won’t apply to the subject of time-based Alert someone actions.
- Placeholders won’t apply to time-based Update Requests actions.
- Placeholders can’t be used when the Run workflow setting is Hourly, Daily, or Weekly.