Copy and Paste Automation Workflows in Smartsheet

SSFeatures provides buttons for copy and pasting automation workflows in Smartsheet.

The Problem with Smartsheet Automation Workflows

If you manage multiple sheets based on the same template and need to add new automation workflows to all of them, Smartsheet currently requires you to manually create the workflows for each sheet.

This process is not only tedious but also prone to errors, as Smartsheet offers no automation to streamline it. These workflows can be extremely complex and adding them manually is time consuming.

Users have been requesting the ability to copy and paste automation workflows since 2020:

Feature Request (~200 votes) (2022)
Feedback (2021)
Feedback (2023)
Feedback (2022)
Feedback (2024)
Feedback (2022)
Feedback (2022)
Feedback (2024)

The Solution with SSFeatures

SSFeatures provides convenient copy and paste buttons in the automation workflow popup, allowing you to quickly transfer automation workflows between sheets or within the same sheet.

First click the Create from Scratch button.

Then you will see the Copy and Paste buttons.

Buttons to copy and paste automation workflows

SSFeatures intelligently maps your data and columns from one sheet to another. It works best when both sheets share the same column names, but it can still function even if they don't.

If any part of the workflow can’t be copied over, SSFeatures will notify you with a clear popup and provide guidance on the manual steps needed to complete the setup.

Example of copy and pasting an automation workflow

Demo Video

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if I paste an automation workflow in a sheet with different columns?
- SSFeatures automatically matches column names and data within your automation workflow. If it cannot find a match, it will skip the unmatched value and notify you via a popup, ensuring you’re aware of any data that was not pasted.
Are there any limitations to this feature?
- Yes, SSFeatures will notify you via a popup if it is unable to copy certain data. Currently, SSFeatures cannot copy the following:
  - Advanced Options: If an action uses Advanced Options, SSFeatures cannot copy them. These options can be accessed by clicking the three vertical dots in the top right corner of the action.
  - Messages with Links to sheet and specific fields: If your action contains a message that includes links to specific fields in a sheet, SSFeatures cannot copy those specific field links.
  - Move rows or Copy rows actions: SSFeatures cannot select the destination sheet for these actions.
Can you tell me more about the security and privacy of this feature?
- Absolutely. SSFeatures operates entirely within your browser and directly interacts with Smartsheet's application code. None of your row, column, or cell data is ever sent to our servers, ensuring complete privacy and security.
- For this feature, SSFeatures uses your browser's local storage API to save the copied automation workflows. When you paste, SSFeatures retrieves the formats from your browser storage and applies them directly to your sheet. SSFeatures simulates all of the button clicks that were required to paste the data.