Can I send User() filtered content with Gmail Pack?

1

Hi Codans,
Here’s a problem I’m even having trouble explaining, but finding the result would be a very powerful feature.

PROBLEM: Using the Gmail Pack, I don’t know how to send User() filtered pages with the ‘content’ argument.

CONTEXT: I have a Section (“Sync Round Up”) that pulls a few lists from a tasks table. Everything is filtered on the current user, so when someone logs in they only see their items. This list is helpful, but more helpful would be if it were mailed to the user in question each morning. Using an Automation to Push Buttons, and a column button to send an email to team member in question, I can achieve this automation. However, it only sends team members the Section filtered on my own user information, and not theirs’.

I think my question is: can I use a formula in the Content argument to specify that the current User is a thisRow People field?

Send Round Up Button
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Automation Rule
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Round Up Section

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1 Like
2

Great question @Samuel_Davenport! Unfortunately you can’t send the contents of a section that dynamically changes based on the User(), this is something we are working on for future versions of the Gmail Pack. There are a few (not ideal) workarounds:

  1. Create a section for each team member that contains just their tasks you would like to send via e-mail (using an Automation, if you wish).
  2. Creating an Automation that filters the list of tasks by team member, then send the filtered tasks via the Gmail Pack. You would have to set up multiple automations that get sent sequentially. (I haven’t tested this method yet).
1 Like
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Thanks, @Al_Chen_Coda,
I think number 1 has more potential for what I’d like to do. However, I was oversimplifying the section I want to send. It also contains some canvas formulas that specify User().
e.g., =User().Photo

Does User() take parameters, or would I need to specify the user by calling to a preexisting table?
e.g., =[Assigned To]=‘Samuel Davenport’.Photo (Which doesn’t work, but you get the idea).

I have the feeling it’s something like the latter, but wanted to check.

Thanks, Al!
Best,
Sam

4

User() does indeed have other properties like Name, Photo, etc. See below:

In your formula, you are referencing a Person object (e.g. ‘Samuel Davenport’) which is different from the User() object. The User() object just looks who is logged into the doc.