Does Echo Deployer copy attachments and comments?

Yes, Echo Deployer can be configured to include all file attachments and row-level comments (conversations) during the deployment of a new workspace or folder. This ensures that any reference documents, SOPs, or historical context included in your master template are available to the team from day one.

Structural vs. Historical Data

In most PMO workflows, you want to clone the Structural Attachments (e.g., a "Project Budget Template.xlsx" attached to a parent row) but you may not want to clone Historical Conversations from a previous project. SmartSyncApp allows you to toggle these settings individually to maintain "Template Purity":

• Include Attachments: Clones all files attached to sheets, rows, or folders within the deployment. This is essential for engineering specs and legal templates.
• Include Comments: Copies the discussion history from the master template to the new sheets, useful for preserving "Internal Knowledge" about specific project phases.
• Include Proofs: If you are using Smartsheet Proofing for creative reviews, these can also be included in the cloning process to maintain the approval chain history.
• Include Forms: All Smartsheet Forms associated with the sheets are cloned and ready for use in the new project context.
• Include Automations: Sheet-level automated workflows (alerts, update requests) are replicated so your new project is "Live" immediately.

Handling API Limits for Large Files & Data Sets

Smartsheet has specific API limits on the volume of data that can be transferred in a single operation. For large master templates with hundreds of attachments (common in AEC or Creative industries), Echo Deployer uses a Buffered Stream Execution. We pull the files from the master and re-upload them to the new deployment in logical chunks, ensuring we don't trigger Smartsheet's "429 Too Many Requests" response or hit the timeout limits of the browser. This intelligent throttling makes Echo Deployer significantly more reliable than manual "Save as New" for data-heavy environments where failure is not an option.

Expert Recommendation: "Template Hygiene" & Storage Optimization

We recommend keeping your master templates "Lean" for maximum performance. Include only the essential documents that every project needs. For instance, putting a 50MB "Company Employee Handbook" on every project sheet can slow down the deployment process and waste Smartsheet storage. Instead, attach a Hyperlink to a central document repository wherever possible to keep your project deployments fast and efficient. This not only speeds up the deployment but also ensures that users are always clicking through to the most recent version of global documents.

Industrial SME Insight: Compliance & Audit Trails

In regulated industries, being able to prove that a project started with the correct set of approved documents is vital. Echo Deployer's ability to mirror attachments and comments ensures that your audit trail begins the moment the project is created, with no "Gaps" in documentation that could lead to non-compliance findings during an external audit.