Running Delayed Columns and Auto-Updating Lookups in Spreadsheets

Kyle M. · 2024-09-20T20:03:44.323Z

Hello! Two questions: 1. Is there a way to run a column on a delay? Example: Run Column A after 20 minutes 2. If I’m using thte “Lookup multiple rows from other table”, how do I get this column to automatically run again after the reference table has been updated?

Running Delayed Columns and Auto-Updating Lookups in Spreadsheets | Clay

8 comments

· Sorted by Oldest

kunal g.
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1.
It's not there yet
2.
I believe you would have to run the column manually even if auto update is one, but i could be wrong Bo (.
Bo (.
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1.
It’s not possible yet, but it’s something we’ve made our team aware of. What are you trying to achieve here, Kyle?
2.
Also, kunal g. is correct—you would need to run it again if you want to bring in new versions 😊
Kyle M.
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Bo (. thanks! I have my website connected to analytics platform, and I would like to enrich rows and create personalized messages based on a user’s browsing history - that history can be accessed via api. However, I’d like to hit the api every day or so to see if the json response adds more/updated analytics data for that user. Feel free to let me know if there’s another way I should think of this, or if I should build some sort of custom integration.
Kyle M.
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I also have the ability to post to clay table via webhook - but it creates a new record. If merge dupes is on, it doesn’t append the new data to the user.
kunal g.
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Kyle M., its pretty simple api writes to clay table > enrichment happens and columns get populated > create a formula that checks if that columns that were to be populated are empty or filled - then returns a true or false or checked and unchecked> if true (checked) > write to wherever you want just add a run condition in that column for the 'data populating verification to be checked' > all of this should work automatically
🙌1
Kyle M.
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kunal g. the goal is to fetch a particular user’s traffic history, and enrich his profile today and again in the future when the user visits the site again. So, I think the way to do this is via webhook or via api that runs on an internal (cron). For webhook method, the new traffic data doesn’t append to the existing user record, instead, it would create a new row (I think). I appreciate your help here! Does my goal change the approach you’re suggesting?
kunal g.
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oooooo that's a tricky one for sure I think you're right about the webhook row thing, there is a play here somewhere but i dont know if its completely automated few questions Is the enrichment being ran over time for that profile the same? like the same exact set of columns? Are the enrichments being used to send some form of messages? haven't solved it in my mental jungle yet but here's what i would try - i could be super wrong here
1.
I would keep the webhooks and automations externally and just use clay for enrichment
2.
inside clay the simple workflow would be webhook comes in > enrichment happens > data gets written to third party dataa thing like sheets or something
3.
in the external data storage tool, the new data could get appended to the exiting records if it were to just simply lookup the identifying value in the record like customer id or something
if you wanna keep everything in clay
1.
webhook in > lookup happens to existing data base and fetches the customer id and other columns > when lookup succeeds > checkbox is checked > then enrichment runs > enrichment gets written to the original database of clay table and maybe another clay table too (might not need it tbh, since you can just have a lookup in the main database to get each next set of enrichments)>
2.
then write to/ send it to the interwebs - that's how i would jerry rig it
Kyle M.
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Any pointers Bo (.? Thanks for your help, kunal g.!!

kunal g.
·
·
1.
It's not there yet
2.
I believe you would have to run the column manually even if auto update is one, but i could be wrong Bo (.
Bo (.
·
·
1.
It’s not possible yet, but it’s something we’ve made our team aware of. What are you trying to achieve here, Kyle?
2.
Also, kunal g. is correct—you would need to run it again if you want to bring in new versions 😊
Kyle M.
·
·
Bo (. thanks! I have my website connected to analytics platform, and I would like to enrich rows and create personalized messages based on a user’s browsing history - that history can be accessed via api. However, I’d like to hit the api every day or so to see if the json response adds more/updated analytics data for that user. Feel free to let me know if there’s another way I should think of this, or if I should build some sort of custom integration.
Kyle M.
·
·
I also have the ability to post to clay table via webhook - but it creates a new record. If merge dupes is on, it doesn’t append the new data to the user.
kunal g.
·
·
Kyle M., its pretty simple api writes to clay table > enrichment happens and columns get populated > create a formula that checks if that columns that were to be populated are empty or filled - then returns a true or false or checked and unchecked> if true (checked) > write to wherever you want just add a run condition in that column for the 'data populating verification to be checked' > all of this should work automatically
🙌1
Kyle M.
·
·
kunal g. the goal is to fetch a particular user’s traffic history, and enrich his profile today and again in the future when the user visits the site again. So, I think the way to do this is via webhook or via api that runs on an internal (cron). For webhook method, the new traffic data doesn’t append to the existing user record, instead, it would create a new row (I think). I appreciate your help here! Does my goal change the approach you’re suggesting?
kunal g.
·
·
oooooo that's a tricky one for sure I think you're right about the webhook row thing, there is a play here somewhere but i dont know if its completely automated few questions Is the enrichment being ran over time for that profile the same? like the same exact set of columns? Are the enrichments being used to send some form of messages? haven't solved it in my mental jungle yet but here's what i would try - i could be super wrong here
1.
I would keep the webhooks and automations externally and just use clay for enrichment
2.
inside clay the simple workflow would be webhook comes in > enrichment happens > data gets written to third party dataa thing like sheets or something
3.
in the external data storage tool, the new data could get appended to the exiting records if it were to just simply lookup the identifying value in the record like customer id or something
if you wanna keep everything in clay
1.
webhook in > lookup happens to existing data base and fetches the customer id and other columns > when lookup succeeds > checkbox is checked > then enrichment runs > enrichment gets written to the original database of clay table and maybe another clay table too (might not need it tbh, since you can just have a lookup in the main database to get each next set of enrichments)>
2.
then write to/ send it to the interwebs - that's how i would jerry rig it
Kyle M.
·
·
Any pointers Bo (.? Thanks for your help, kunal g.!!