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Master to Sibling Smartsheet Function

Master to Sibling Smartsheet Function

Python script that replicates data from a master Smartsheet to multiple sibling sheets, maintaining data consistency across related sheets.

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Overview

This repository provides a Python-based solution for the master-sibling sheet pattern, where data from one authoritative "master" sheet needs to be replicated to multiple "sibling" sheets. Perfect for scenarios where multiple teams need read-only copies of centralized data.

GitHub Repository: JFlo21/master-to-sibling-smartsheet-function

Key Features

- **One-to-Many Replication**: Copy from one master to N siblings - **Selective Column Sync**: Choose which columns to replicate - **Efficient Updates**: Only updates changed data - **Batch Processing**: Handles large datasets - **Error Recovery**: Continues on partial failures - **Dry-Run Mode**: Test without making changes - **Detailed Logging**: Track all replication operations

Use Cases

  • Distributing centralized reference data to teams
  • Creating department-specific views of master data
  • Maintaining synchronized project information across teams
  • Replicating approved data to execution sheets

Architecture

graph TD
    MS[Master Sheet] -->|Read All Data| PY[Python Script]
    PY -->|Replicate| S1[Sibling Sheet 1]
    PY -->|Replicate| S2[Sibling Sheet 2]
    PY -->|Replicate| S3[Sibling Sheet 3]
    PY -->|Replicate| SN[Sibling Sheet N]

    style MS fill:#ffd700,stroke:#333,stroke-width:3px
    style S1 fill:#add8e6,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
    style S2 fill:#add8e6,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
    style S3 fill:#add8e6,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
    style SN fill:#add8e6,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
    style PY fill:#3776ab,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px

File Structure

master-to-sibling-smartsheet-function/
├── master_to_sibling.py    # Main replication script
├── config.py                # Configuration management
├── requirements.txt         # Python dependencies
├── .env.example             # Environment template
└── README.md                # Documentation

Environment Variables

Variable Required Description Example
SMARTSHEET_ACCESS_TOKEN Yes Smartsheet API token ll...
MASTER_SHEET_ID Yes Master sheet ID 1234567890123456
SIBLING_SHEET_IDS Yes Comma-separated sibling IDs 111,222,333
REPLICATED_COLUMN_IDS No Specific columns to copy 1111,2222,3333
DRY_RUN No Test mode false

Setup Instructions

1. Clone Repository

git clone https://github.com/JFlo21/master-to-sibling-smartsheet-function.git
cd master-to-sibling-smartsheet-function

2. Install Dependencies

python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # Windows: venv\Scripts\activate
pip install -r requirements.txt

3. Configure Environment

cp .env.example .env
nano .env

Example .env: 

SMARTSHEET_ACCESS_TOKEN=your_smartsheet_token
MASTER_SHEET_ID=1234567890123456
SIBLING_SHEET_IDS=2345678901234567,3456789012345678,4567890123456789
# Optional: Specify columns (leave empty for all)
REPLICATED_COLUMN_IDS=
DRY_RUN=false

Usage Examples

Basic Replication

python master_to_sibling.py

Dry-Run Mode

python master_to_sibling.py --dry-run

Specific Sibling Only

python master_to_sibling.py --sibling 2345678901234567

Verbose Logging

python master_to_sibling.py --verbose

Configuration

Column Selection

Replicate all columns: 

REPLICATED_COLUMN_IDS=

Replicate specific columns only: 

REPLICATED_COLUMN_IDS=1234567890123456,2345678901234567

Match Strategies

By Row ID (default): 

# Matches rows by their Smartsheet row ID
# Good for initial copy, not for ongoing sync

By Unique Key: 

# Match by a unique identifier column
MATCH_COLUMN_ID=1234567890123456  # e.g., Job Number

Dependencies

smartsheet-python-sdk>=3.0.0
python-dotenv>=0.19.0

Scheduling

Cron Job

# Run every 4 hours
0 */4 * * * cd /path/to/repo && /path/to/venv/bin/python master_to_sibling.py

Triggered by Webhook

Use Smartsheet webhooks to trigger on changes:

from flask import Flask, request

app = Flask(__name__)

@app.route('/webhook', methods=['POST'])
def webhook_handler():
    data = request.json
    if data.get('events'):
        # Master sheet changed, trigger sync
        os.system('python master_to_sibling.py')
    return '', 200

Best Practices

Replication Tips

  • Set sibling sheets to read-only for users
  • Run replication during off-peak hours
  • Test with dry-run before production
  • Monitor for replication lag

Troubleshooting

Data Not Replicating

Check master sheet has data: 

python -c "from smartsheet_client import get_sheet; print(get_sheet('MASTER_ID').total_row_count)"

Permission Errors

Ensure API token has Editor access to all sheets (master + siblings).

Partial Failures

Script continues on per-sheet failures. Check logs for details.

Additional Resources