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Freeze Formula

Create automations that record formula results into cells on a schedule or trigger.

Freeze Formula creates automations that write the result of a formula into a cell on a schedule or trigger. Use it to capture point-in-time values like end-of-month numbers, or to reduce performance issues caused by live formulas on large sheets.

Overview

Freeze Formula is workflow-based. You create one or more workflows, each targeting a specific sheet and column. It has two modes:

  • Mode 1 — Specific Sheet — create a workflow targeting a single sheet
  • Mode 2 — SCC Integration — integrate with a Smartsheet Control Center blueprint to automatically create a workflow for every newly provisioned sheet

Prerequisites

  • A Solution Manager account.
  • The formula should be tested and working in Smartsheet before configuring a workflow.
  • For Mode 2, your SCC blueprint must be configured with the settings described in the SCC Integration setup flow.

Mode 1 — Specific Sheet

  1. Click Freeze Formula from the Solution Manager home screen.
  2. Click Create New Workflow.
  3. Click Click Here next to Sheet and select your target sheet.
  4. Click Select Column next to Formula Column and select the column where the result should be written.
  5. Enter or paste your formula in the Formula field.
  6. Optional — toggle on Write Formula Instead of Value if you want the formula itself written rather than its result. Leave this off in most cases.
  7. Click Add Schedule to run on a recurring cadence, or Add Trigger to run on a condition. Add as many as needed.
  8. Click Save.

Mode 2 — SCC Integration

  1. Click Freeze Formula and then Create New Workflow.
  2. Click Click Here next to SCC Integration.
  3. Review the Before You Begin details — specific SCC blueprint configuration is required before proceeding.
  4. Follow the prompts to define the Summary or Intake sheet, the column containing cell links, the blueprint folder, and cell link direction.
  5. Click Confirm SCC Integration.
  6. Select the blueprint template sheet and formula column.
  7. Enter your formula, configure schedule and triggers, and click Save.

Troubleshooting

The formula result is not being written. Confirm the formula is valid by testing it directly in Smartsheet first. If it works there but not in Freeze Formula, check that it was pasted correctly without extra characters.

The workflow is not triggering on schedule. Confirm the workflow is active in the workflow list and that the schedule timezone matches your expectation.

Mode 2 workflows are not being created for new provisioned sheets. Review the SCC blueprint configuration against the Before You Begin requirements. The most common issue is an incorrect cell link direction setting.