Create an offload workflow in Data Shuttle

Offload workflows help you pull data from your Smartsheet files and transfer the extracted data to a Smartsheet sheet or another cloud storage. 

Log in to Data Shuttle

Prerequisites

Data Shuttle is a premium application. To check your access level, log in at datashuttle.smartsheet.com.

To use Data Shuttle you must:

• Be a Licensed User
• Have Owner, Admin, or Editor permissions on the target sheet
• Have Data Shuttle Premium Application permissions enabled in User Management by your Smartsheet System Admin.

How does an offload workflow work?

When an offload workflow fires up, it will pull data from a Smartsheet sheet. After pulling the data, the workflow converts it into an Excel or CSV file and then pushes it as an attachment to any of these options:

• A Smartsheet sheet
• OneDrive
• SharePoint
• Google Drive
• Box

Step 1: Create a new offload workflow in Data Shuttle

1. On the left Navigation Bar, select the Launcher . If this is your first time using Data Shuttle, you may need to log in at datashuttle.smartsheet.com.
2. In Data Shuttle, on the left Navigation Bar, select .
3. Select Offload Data, and then select Next.

Copy an existing workflow to save time in creating workflows

You can copy a workflow to use as is. You can also edit a copied workflow to make a new one without having to start from scratch. To copy an existing workflow:

1. Go to the tab where the workflow is located.
2. Hover the pointer over the workflow. 
3. Select More . 
4. Select Create a copy.

Once you’ve created a copy of the workflow, you can edit it.

To edit a workflow:

1. Hover over the copied workflow row.
2. Select More . 
3. Select Edit workflow.

Step 2: Select a source sheet

• On the Source tab, select your source sheet; then select Next.

Step 3: Select a target 

Configure how you want results offloaded from Smartsheet.

Before you begin

Here are some things to note before you select a target:

• If you’re using Smartsheet attachments as a target, you can use the same sheet or a different sheet from the source sheet. If you’re offloading to a third-party app, you’ll need to sign in to that app. 
• Data Shuttle drops the file extension in the offload process. Rename the file, or open it in a third-party app. Then, save it to reattach the extension. 
• Never set the offload-target file and upload-source file as the same file.

To select a target

1. On the Target tab, select the target location—where your data is going:
   • Smartsheet Attachment: Select the Smartsheet item where you want to attach the file.
   • Third-party app: If you choose any of these options, you’ll need to sign _in and select the folder where you want to dump the offload file.
     • OneDrive 
     • Google Drive
     • Box
2. Fill in the following fields:
   • Exported file name: Assign a name for your offload file.
   • Exported file type: Choose CSV or Excel.
3. Select Next.

Step 4: Set filters to control which rows are offloaded

Use filters to define which data the system should offload from Smartsheet to your third-party drive. For example, you can create a filter to offload rows with ‘In Progress’ as the value in the Status column.

You can also use filters when working with large data sets where you might only need a to share a subset of your data.

Filters are case sensitive. Make sure they are an exact match to the information in your file.

To set filters

1. On the Filter tab, select Add another filter.
2. In the filter setup, select an input column, a comparison operator (for example, equals or contains), and the value.
3. Then, in the Filter logic box, connect each filter together with the AND or OR operator. 
   • To define relationships between each filter, use the filter IDs (the number next to each filter).
     
4. Select Next.

At least one row in the source sheet must meet the filter criteria. Otherwise, the CSV file won’t be generated. There is no option to generate a blank CSV file.  

Define more complex filter logic

You can define more complex filter logic with parentheses along with the AND or OR operator. 

For example: (1 AND 2) OR 3 combine logic to include all data where the (Department = “Services” AND Widget Size = “Large”) OR the Department = “Marketing.”

In this example, only large widgets for the services department would be included in your offload, but all marketing widgets would be offloaded.

Step 5: Map columns between the two systems 

Smartsheet columns are pre-populated; you select the offload file columns.

To manually map a column

1. In the Sheet Column section, choose the sheet columns you want to match with the offload file columns. 
2. Optional: To arrange the columns, hover over the sheet/offload file column. Then select the arrow icon. If you don’t want to map all fields, hover the pointer over the sheet/offload file column. Then select  .
3. Once you’re done mapping the fields, select Next.

If you've made changes to the underlying sheet, select refresh to update the mapping. Refresh will overwrite any manual changes you've made so double check to make sure your columns are mapped correctly.

Step 6: Schedule your workflow

Schedule your workflow to run automatically, or run the workflow manually.
Data Shuttle uses GMT.

To run the workflow automatically

1. On the Run options tab, turn on the Run on schedule toggle. 
2. To set up the schedule, fill in the following fields:
   • Days of the week: Days you want to run the workflow 
   • Start time: What time you want the workflow to start running
   • Execute every: The frequency of the workflow schedule (every 15 minutes, for example)
   • End time: What time you want the workflow to stop running
3. Once you’re done setting up the schedule, select Next. 

It’s best to allow more than six hours between scheduled runs. More frequent runs can:

• Create a very high amount of writes to their cloud source 
• Create multiple versions that are hard to differentiate
• Cause errors when the workflow attempts to access files in use

Run on manual

If you don’t set up a schedule for the workflow, you can run your workflow at any time. To run the workflow manually: 

• Go to where the workflow is located, and then select Run.

Step 7: Publish your new workflow

Enter a name for your workflow, and then select Publish. You can now access your workflow anytime you want to run, edit, or delete it.