Hey @max131387 ,
I had did a project with Smartsheet and this is a problem with their API.
- If possible migrate to some other database like Airtable or Google Sheet
- If not, create a duplicate database for lookup purpose. I tried every other solution and creating a duplicate database was the only solution and this is working properly.
Hi @max131387, just checking in—how are things going on this?
I spotted you also reached out to our Support team and it seems it can take up to 24 hours for SmartSheet to index the data inside sheets. The initial workaround the Support team suggested wasn’t a good fit for your use case as it involved setting a delay of 24 hours but looks like they had an alternative idea for a workaround. I’ll share that workaround here in case it’s helpful for anyone coming across similar issues:
Looking through or records of this action and our conversations with our Partners at Smartsheet, there is a limitation on how sheets are indexed inside their our search engine using elastic search, which can result in unexpected outcomes.
Another alternative would be to store the emails in Zapier Tables (which is free to use). What you can do here is copy the Email column from your Smartsheet and paste it into a Zapier Table. Then, in your Zap, you can replace the "Find sheet Row" action in Smartsheet for a "Find Record" action in Zapier Tables, activating the "Create Record if one is not found" option.
https://help.zapier.com/hc/en-us/articles/9804340895245-Create-tables-and-store-data-with-Zapier-Tables
That way, you can add a row to your Smartsheet depending on the results of the search in the Zapier Table, using the "Zap Data Was Found" field. If found, don't add anything. If not found, the email will be added to the Zapier Table and the Smartsheet.
Did you have any success with either of the workarounds suggested by jayeshkumarbhatia or the Support team?
Want to make sure you’re all set so please keep us posted on your progress 
Thanks for checking in, @SamB. As @jayeshkumarbhatia pointed out, this is a frustrating limitation of SmartSheet.
SmartSheet's support representatives confirmed that there may be up to a 24-hour delay until newly updated Smartsheet data appears in search results via the API.
The suggestion of using an intermediary table (e.g. Zapier Tables) certainly seems like it could work, but it might be a bit unwieldy as the SmartSheet data is not only updated through this Zap, but may be manually updated by SmartSheet users (and I need the Zap's search results to reflect the current state of the data).
For the time being we've instituted the 24-hour delay workaround, with an internal understanding that the SmartSheet may effectively be a day behind. This is obviously not ideal, and I’ll be considering a migration at the end of our fiscal year.
Hi @max131387,
Smartsheet's API search delays can be challenging, especially when timely data updates are essential. To mitigate this, consider using Zapier Tables as an intermediary to sync recent data, though it requires managing both manual and automated updates. Exploring alternative data sources, such as Smartsheet's webhooks for real-time triggers, might also help. Implementing regular updates and alerts can keep stakeholders informed despite delays. Providing feedback to Smartsheet may encourage improvements, and evaluating other platforms for better synchronization could be a viable long-term solution.
I understand these solutions may not fully resolve the issue, but I hope they offer some viable options while you navigate this challenge. Feel free to reach out if you have any further questions or need additional assistance.
