linking to a template?

Ron42na

Is there a way to create a link to a template (other than using the API)? I want to put links to our templates on various sites so people don't have to remember where each template is stored in Smartsheet.

Ron

Shaine Greenwood

Hi Ron,

You might consider putting your templates in workspaces. You could then give people the workspace link.

To get the workspace link, navigate to your Home tab in Smartsheet, then right-click on the workspace name and select Properties.

Rosanne Ingoglia

Hi Ron,

I do it all the time.

I create sites for specific staff and myself with all the links needed.

One of the Use the Shortcut widget to link your Smartsheet to the Site.

The link of the Smartsheet is found in the Sharing tab at the bottom of the sheet.

Ron42na

How do you get the sharing link for a template? When I click on a template it opens the template in new sheet mode - there is not a sharing tab on the bottom. Also, when I right click on the template file, the Properties section does not have a link.

Am I missing something?

Ron42na

That's what I'm doing now, but I was hoping to make the UE a little cleaner/less error prone by having them access each template type via buttons on their Sight. Forcing them to the workspace is ok - but that means they then have to navigate to the right folder based on the type of template their using...workable, but not quite what I was hoping for.

Rosanne Ingoglia

They have to be shared on the Smartsheet template. I recommend you down load the templates and share the with your team.

Then locate the sharing link to add it to the Site page you create.

J. Craig Williams

I think the common terminology may be causing confusion.

TEMPLATE (Type 1)

A Smartsheet (Template) object that contains a pre-defined structure for a Sheet.

https://help.smartsheet.com/articles/522123-creating-using-templates

To use a Template, you create a Sheet from it.

TEMPLATE (Type 2)

A Smartsheet (Sheet) object that contains a pre-defined structure and functionality. Smartsheet provides these in their "Template Gallery", some of which are found here:

https://help.smartsheet.com/articles/984956-popular-templates

They are different.

Type 1 is a TEMPLATE object. It is not editable. It does not contains (nor can it) links to other objects.

Type 2 is a SHEET object. It is editable. It is a normal (pre-made) Sheet.

I hope this does not add to the confusion.

Craig

Ron42na

Thanks Craig, I figured there were technical reasons behind it. Any chance the Type 1 Template object will ever be made linkable?

Our situation is we are trying to make the system as easy to use as possible so we are trying very hard to have everyone interact with the sheets via links on the teams Sight. If at all possible we don't want people going directly to the workspace folder structure. It sounds like the people that create the project sheets (via the templates) will have to go to the folders for now, but it would be good to be able to launch the templates from the teams Sight in the future.

J. Craig Williams

I can not speak for Smartsheet as to whether we will be able to linkable.

The API documentation implies that the Template object is not just an inactive sheet, but something else. One can interact with the object as a "thing" but not dive into and get a view of what is inside it.

To work around this, I build Workspaces with active Sheets, Reports, (and occasionally optional Templates) and start new projects by Save As New on the Workspace. This preserves the links and internal hyperlinks.

A new project takes minutes to set up.

Zapier also has Smartsheet action for creating a new Workspace (Copy Workspace), so if desired I could automate some of those minutes away.

Lastly, Smartsheet has something called Control Center which is a paid premium service and application for scaling out projects. It is still being matured and I'm withholding judgement.

I hope that helps.

Craig