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Workflows

Smartsheet Workflow Alert and Email Preview

Smartsheet does not show a rendered preview of workflow alert and email messages while you are composing them. Column placeholder syntax like {{Column Name}} only resolves when the automation actually fires, so there is no way to confirm that formatting, placeholder references, and layout look correct before the workflow runs and sends a real notification.

Without Grid Tools

The daily workaround

Placeholders only resolve on live sends
There is no way to verify that {{Column Name}} placeholders are correctly spelled and will resolve until the automation fires and sends a real email.
Layout surprises in recipients' inboxes
Rich text formatting choices — bold, bullets, spacing — cannot be reviewed as rendered output, so recipients sometimes receive messages with unexpected layout.
Test triggers required to check messages
The only way to see how a message looks is to trigger the workflow live, which sends real notifications to real recipients during the testing process.
Iterative editing without visual feedback
Adjusting message copy requires saving, triggering, reviewing the received email, returning to the editor, and repeating — with no preview shortcut.
Screenshot: Workflow message editor with raw placeholder syntax
Workflow message editor showing raw placeholder syntax with no preview
Screenshot: Triggering the workflow to send a test email
Triggering the workflow live to check the email in an inbox
Screenshot: Received test email showing unexpected formatting
Received test email revealing unexpected formatting

With Grid Tools

How Grid Tools handles it

Preview the rendered message in the editor
Grid Tools adds a preview panel that renders the workflow message — including rich text formatting and resolved placeholder labels — directly inside the workflow editor.
Catch placeholder errors before saving
Misspelled or mismatched column placeholder names are visible in the preview before the workflow is saved or triggered.
Review layout without sending
Confirm that bold text, bulleted lists, and spacing render as intended without sending a test notification to any recipients.
Faster message iteration
Edit and preview in the same place — no test triggers, no checking inboxes, no round-trips between the editor and an email client.
Screenshot: Preview panel showing rendered workflow email message
Preview panel showing the rendered workflow email message
Screenshot: Column placeholder resolved in preview output
Column placeholder label resolved in the preview output
Screenshot: Rich text formatting visible in the preview panel
Rich text formatting visible in the preview panel

Frequently asked questions

Does Smartsheet show a preview of workflow email messages?

No. Smartsheet's workflow editor shows a text composition area but does not render a preview of how the message will look when delivered. The only way to see the final output is to trigger the automation.

Does the preview show actual column values from the sheet?

The preview resolves placeholder column names so you can confirm the placeholder syntax is correct. It uses the column name as a label rather than a live cell value, since the actual value will vary per triggered row at runtime.

Does the preview cover both alert messages and email notifications?

Yes. The preview works for both the alert message type and the email notification type in Smartsheet workflow actions.

Can I use the preview to check subject lines as well as message bodies?

Yes. The preview panel renders both the subject line and the message body so you can confirm both fields before saving the workflow.

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