Getting Started with Smartsheet Automations
Certifier Automations is a simple 2-step “trigger → action” system that issues credentials the moment your data arrives.
Use Smartsheet as a universal bridge – send data from your CRM, LMS, event form, or even your API directly into a sheet, where Certifier will automatically issue credentials for every new row added.
Before You Begin: Prepare your Sheet
To get started quickly, create an empty sheet with table view and 2 columns:
Recipient Name: column that stores the recipients' names.
Recipient Email: column that stores the recipients' emails.
⚠️ Important note: Set the view to Table to prevent Smartsheet from creating extra rows in your sheet.
Because Smartsheet requires at least one row, start by entering "Recipient Name" and "Recipient Email" in the first row. This placeholder row will be ignored once you activate the automation.
After that, remove the other empty rows that Smartsheet creates by default. Certifier will not recognize them – even if you add data later, no credentials will be issued.
⚠️ Important: Regardless of your workflow, we recommend starting with an empty sheet. Only add rows with the actual recipients' data after activating the Automation.
If you're using a sheet that already contains rows, those rows may be processed, and credentials may be issued as soon as you activate the Automation.
Please refer to point 1 in the "Critical Rules After Activation" section for more information.
How Smartsheet Automations Work
Trigger – The event that starts the automation. Here, it’s when a new row is added to the Sheet.
Action – What happens next. Certifier reads the new row's data, then issues the credential.
Step-by-Step Setup
This guide walks you through setting up your first automation using Smartsheet. Let's get started!
Step 1. Create Your Automation
Go to Automations → + Create Automation.
Select the Smartsheet template.
Press Use Template.
Step 2. Configure the Trigger
Open the Trigger Configuration
To get started, click on the Trigger. The setup will be preconfigured for you – you'll just need to press Continue to move to Configuration.
Configure the New Row Added Trigger
Connect your Smartsheet Account: Press the Connect Smartsheet button, and log in via secure OAuth. Then click Continue and Allow.
Once you do that, your account will appear as selected. If you need to use a different account, just unfold the options and select or connect another one:
Select the Sheet: Click on the field below Sheet and choose the sheet you want to use:
Once you're ready, press Submit. And that's it! Your Trigger is set up 🤓
Step 3. Configure the Action
Next, you’ll need to configure the action. To do so, open this guide in a new tab: How to set up the Issue Credential Action.
⚠️ Important: The instructions for this step are laid down in a separate guide
We recommend opening the action setup guide in a new tab so you can easily return to this article afterwards. Once you finish configuring the action, make sure to come back here to finalize and activate your automation.
Step 4. Finalize & Activate
Now, there's just one more step – you'll need to:
Click Save & Activate.
Give your automation a clear name (e.g., “Conference Invites via Smartsheet”) and press Next.
💡 Tip: Give your automation a clear name (e.g., include your group name) so you can easily spot it – especially if you're planning to connect multiple sheets. Don’t worry, you can rename it anytime after activation.
You’ll see a confirmation warning saying that if there are any rows in your sheet, Certifier may use them for credential issuance upon activation. Check the box and click Confirm & Automate to proceed.
And that's it! Once you choose to activate it, your new automation will be live. 🥳
⚠️ Important: Once your automation is active, it can’t be edited.
If you need to change anything – such as re-mapping columns, adding new custom attributes, or updating your credential settings – you’ll need to delete the automation and create a new one from scratch.
What It Looks Like in Practice
A new row appears in the Sheet.
Within a few minutes, Certifier issues the credential and marks the row as “Processed.”
Your recipient receives their credential.
Critical Rules After Activation
Once your automation is active, these rules are essential to prevent errors, duplicates, and broken setups. Read each one carefully.
Rule 1: Existing Rows May Be Processed Unpredictably
When you connect a sheet with existing pre-filled rows, Certifier may process these rows and count against your usage.
If you have a header row (e.g., Recipient Name | Recipient Email), it may trigger one “Failed” run in Automation Runs because there’s no valid email. This is expected and harmless.
💡 Tip: As a rule of thumb, connect a sheet that contains only headers and does not store any existing recipients' data (name/email rows), as this data may be processed unpredictably and could count against your usage.
Keep the header row for guidance. Just start adding your real data below it after activating the automation.
If you have existing data, export it as a CSV or XLSX file, then go to the "Credentials" section to issue credentials.
Rule 2: Don’t Rename the Sheet or Columns
Renaming the sheet or columns will break the automation – Certifier looks for the exact names you selected during setup.
Rule 3: Don’t Move or Insert Columns
Certifier tracks columns by name and order. Moving them or inserting new ones will break your mapping and cause errors.
Rule 4: Be Careful with Processed Rows
Certifier always starts from the next unprocessed row. This leads to several pitfalls:
Inserting above processed rows → duplicates: If you’ve already processed rows 1–5 and then insert a new row anywhere above row 6, your original row 5 shifts into row 6. Certifier sees row 6 as “next” and issues a duplicate for that person, while your new entry stays unprocessed.
Deleting and re-adding in the same positions → skipped: If you delete rows 1–5 (all processed) and paste new entries into positions 1–5, nothing happens. Certifier is still waiting for row 6, so your new rows won’t trigger.
Rule 5: Always Include Name & Email
Each row needs a valid Recipient Name and Recipient Email. Rows missing either – or with improperly formatted emails – will be skipped.
Rule 6: Allow Processing Time
Allow 3–5 minutes for each row to process. Re-adding or moving rows while processing is underway can cause conflicts or duplicates.
Rule 7: Don’t Edit Processed Rows
Any edits to already-processed rows will be ignored. To correct data, update credentials in the Certifier dashboard.
Keep that in mind and enjoy the automated workflow! 👑
Need more help?
If you still have some questions, do not hesitate to contact us via the chat icon or email us directly: [email protected].