Enable bidirectional message sync between Field Nation work order messages and Smartsheet row discussions — keep your field team and project managers in sync.
Message sync connects Field Nation work order messages with Smartsheet row discussions. When a provider or buyer posts a message on a work order, it appears as a new discussion comment on the linked Smartsheet row. When someone adds a comment to a row discussion, it syncs back to the work order as a message.
This guide covers Smartsheet-specific message sync. For general concepts on how events and sync work across connectors, see Events & Synchronization.
Smartsheet has a two-level messaging structure: Discussions (threads) and Comments (individual messages within a thread). Field Nation uses flat messages on work orders.
The connector maps between them as follows:
| Direction | Behavior |
|---|---|
| FN → Smartsheet | Each FN work order message creates a new Discussion on the linked row with the message text as the first comment |
| Smartsheet → FN | A new comment on a row discussion creates a message on the linked work order |
events: ["*.*"] (must include comment events)Message sync is controlled by the messages service flag in your connector settings.
In Field Nation: Integrations → Field Services → Smartsheet → Manage → Messages toggle
| Setting | Behavior |
|---|---|
| OFF (default) | No message sync in either direction |
| ON | Messages sync bidirectionally between linked work orders and rows |
Configure whether synced messages are public (visible to assigned providers) or private (internal only):
| Setting value | FN message type |
|---|---|
private (default) | INTERNAL — visible only to buyer team |
public | Visible to providers — exact audience depends on work order state: requested providers, assigned provider, or routed providers |
When the message_posted event fires on a linked work order:
Duplicate prevention: Each synced message stores a relationship of <ROW_ID>-<COMMENT_ID>. If the same message has already been synced, it won't be sent again.
When a comment is added to a discussion on a linked row:
comment event type.parentType is ROW, the connector maps the <SHEET_ID>-<ROW_ID> to find the linked work order.Only comments on row-level discussions are synced. Sheet-level discussions (not attached to a specific row) are ignored by the connector.
| Configuration | Outbound (FN → Smartsheet) | Inbound (Smartsheet → FN) |
|---|---|---|
| Messages OFF | No sync | No sync |
Messages ON, private | New Discussion per message (internal only) | Comment → internal message on work order |
Messages ON, public | New Discussion per message (visible to providers) | Comment → message on work order (type determined by work order status) |
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Workflow Setup
Create and enable a Smartsheet webhook to trigger Field Nation work order creation, and configure outbound sync for status updates back to your sheet.
Attachment Sync
Sync files between Field Nation work orders and Smartsheet row attachments — deliverables, photos, and documents flow automatically.