How to Use Zapier to Connect Smartsheet and Asana Workflows

Zapier makes it possible to connect work management tools like Smartsheet and Asana so your project data stays in sync without constant manual updates. Using what we know from the detailed comparison at Smartsheet vs. Asana, you can design an automation strategy that fits the way your team plans projects, tracks tasks, and collaborates.

Why connect Smartsheet and Asana with Zapier

Before you build any automation, it helps to understand what each app does best. The source comparison explains that Smartsheet works like an advanced spreadsheet for project plans, while Asana focuses on everyday task management and collaboration.

By adding Zapier between them, you can:

• Keep high-level project plans aligned with day-to-day task lists
• Reduce duplicate data entry across tools
• Standardize how work is requested, tracked, and reported
• Give different teams the interface they prefer while keeping shared structure

Zapier moves data between apps using automated workflows called Zaps. Each Zap follows a simple pattern: a trigger event happens in one app, then Zapier runs one or more actions in other apps.

Plan your automation based on the Smartsheet vs. Asana roles

The comparison article highlights that the two tools solve slightly different problems. Use this to decide where each tool fits in your stack and how Zapier should connect them.

Define the primary job of each app before using Zapier

Use the following roles as a starting point:

• Smartsheet as the planning hub: Great for portfolio-level views, dependencies, and resource planning.
• Asana as the execution hub: Ideal for assigning tasks, commenting, and tracking progress.

Once you define the roles, you can map exactly what Zapier needs to sync between them.

Map which data Zapier should sync

Decide which information must be the same in both tools and which can stay local to one app. Common fields to align include:

• Task or row name
• Description or notes
• Owner or assignee
• Due date
• Status or stage

Make a short table for yourself that lists each key field in Smartsheet and the matching field in Asana. This mapping will guide what you configure inside Zapier.

Step-by-step: set up your first Smartsheet–Asana Zapier workflow

The steps below outline a typical process for building an automation that creates Asana tasks when new Smartsheet rows are added. You can reverse the direction if Asana is your main source of truth.

Step 1: Prepare Smartsheet for Zapier

1. Create or open a Smartsheet that lists your projects or tasks.
2. Confirm that each column has a clear purpose (for example: Task Name, Owner, Due Date, Status).
3. Clean up any old test data so it is obvious which new rows Zapier should use.
4. If needed, add a checkbox or dropdown column such as “Send to Asana” to control which rows should sync.

Step 2: Prepare Asana to receive data from Zapier

1. Choose the workspace and project where new tasks should land.
2. Make sure project custom fields line up with your Smartsheet columns when possible.
3. Set default sections or columns so new tasks are easy to find.

Step 3: Create a new Zap inside Zapier

1. In your Zapier account, click to create a new Zap.
2. Select Smartsheet as the trigger app.
3. Choose a trigger event such as “New Row” or “New Row in Sheet.”
4. Connect your Smartsheet account and pick the specific sheet you prepared.
5. Test the trigger so Zapier can pull in a sample row.

Use the sample row to confirm that all the columns you care about appear correctly in Zapier.

Step 4: Add Asana as the action app in Zapier

1. Add an action step and choose Asana.
2. Select the event “Create Task.”
3. Connect your Asana account, workspace, and destination project.
4. In the action setup, map Smartsheet fields to Asana fields, for example:
   • Task Name ← Smartsheet row name or primary column
   • Description ← Details or notes column
   • Assignee ← Owner column
   • Due Date ← Due Date column
5. Use the test record Zapier pulled from Smartsheet to test the action and verify that the task appears in Asana as expected.

Step 5: Add filters in Zapier to avoid clutter

If you only want certain rows to create Asana tasks, add a Filter step in Zapier between the trigger and action.

Common filter rules include:

• Only continue if Status is “Approved” or “Ready.”
• Only continue if the “Send to Asana” checkbox is checked.
• Only continue if Due Date is not empty.

Filters help ensure Zapier only creates tasks that truly belong in Asana, keeping both systems clean.

Build more advanced workflows with Zapier

Once the basic flow works, expand on it using more of what the Smartsheet vs. Asana comparison explains about each tool’s strengths.

Sync status changes between apps using Zapier

You might want updates in one app to appear in the other. For example:

• When a task is completed in Asana, Zapier updates the Status column for the matching row in Smartsheet.
• When a project stage changes in Smartsheet, Zapier moves the related task to a new section in Asana.

Set these up as separate Zaps, each with a focused trigger and action. Use unique IDs or task links stored in custom fields to match records between tools.

Use Zapier to route intake requests

The comparison article points out that teams sometimes start work requests in one system and then execute in another. You can:

• Collect requests in a Smartsheet form.
• Use Zapier to create Asana tasks for approved requests.
• Write the Asana task URL back to Smartsheet for easy reference.

This gives stakeholders a simple intake view in Smartsheet while your delivery team works in Asana.

Combine Zapier with other tools in your stack

Smartsheet and Asana rarely live alone. Zapier lets you add email, chat, CRM, and documentation tools into the same flows. For example:

• Send a Slack message when a high-priority Asana task is created from Smartsheet.
• Create a document in your knowledge base when a Smartsheet project hits a certain phase.
• Log key milestones to your CRM to keep account teams informed.

For broader consulting on automation strategy, you can reference specialists such as Consultevo, then implement execution details using Zapier.

Best practices for reliable Zapier automations

To keep your Smartsheet and Asana connection stable, follow these guidelines.

Keep structures stable so Zapier mappings don’t break

• Avoid renaming or deleting critical columns in Smartsheet.
• Limit structural changes to core Asana projects used by Zapier.
• When you must change something, update and retest related Zaps immediately.

Use naming conventions that help Zapier users

Clear naming makes it easier to troubleshoot your Zaps later:

• Name Zaps by purpose, such as “Smartsheet → Asana: New project tasks.”
• Include the sheet and project names in the Zap description.
• Document which team owns each Zap so people know who can approve changes.

Monitor Zapier activity and errors

• Review Zap run history to catch repeated failures.
• Set up error notifications so someone sees issues quickly.
• Periodically test your most important Zaps using sample records.

Use the Smartsheet vs. Asana comparison to refine your Zapier setup

As your processes mature, revisit the insights in the original Smartsheet vs. Asana article. Decide whether more of your planning should live in Smartsheet or Asana, then adjust your Zapier workflows to match.

By aligning the natural strengths of each platform and connecting them with Zapier, you create a flexible project system that supports both high-level planning and day-to-day execution without constant manual coordination.

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