Keep Smartsheet notifications clean by removing inactive users from the distribution list.

Notifications are supposed to help, not confuse. In Smartsheet, getting the right people the right messages at the right time can make or break a project’s momentum. When the recipient list is stuffed with folks who aren’t active anymore, the alerts become noise—slowdowns, questions, and frustration all pile up. So, what should you do to keep notifications tight and meaningful? The answer is simple: remove inactive users from the distribution list.

Let me explain why that single move matters and how it plays out in a real-world setup. Think about your team as a busy kitchen. If you keep shouting orders to a line cook who left weeks ago, you just waste everyone’s time and miss the dish that’s actually waiting on the line. The same idea applies to Smartsheet notifications. If the distribution list is peppered with inactive addresses, those messages land in emptiness, while the active folks are left to sort through the noise.

Why the other options don’t hit the target

• B. Change notification settings for each user

This can feel like a clever shortcut, but it’s a sluggish one. Tinkering with every individual setting works only as long as people stay in their roles. In a growing team, this becomes a never-ending chore. Projects shift, people move on, and those personalized settings drift out of date. Before you know it, someone who still shows up on the list gets an alert they don’t care about, or—worse—someone alive in the project doesn’t get something they actually need because their personal filter was set too narrowly. It’s a maintenance tax you don’t want to pay.

• C. Set up an automatic filter

Filters can help with what lands in your inbox, but they don’t stop the initial delivery to inactive addresses. If the system still sends to someone who isn’t active, the filter only shuffles the result after the fact. In practice, you end up chasing the problem instead of preventing it. It’s a workaround, not a cure.

• D. Restrict automation to active users only

That sounds logical, but it presumes the platform can automatically distinguish “active” from “inactive” in a reliable, scalable way. In many setups, you’ll hit a snag: status markers lag, or they rely on manual updates, or they don’t propagate to every automation rule. It’s a nice goal, but it’s not something you can count on without extra workflow workarounds. In other words, this is a good idea in theory but fragile in practice.

The clean, straightforward approach that actually works

Remove inactive users from the distribution list. This is the simplest, clearest route to keep notifications lean and relevant. When only active people are in the loop, you get faster responses, fewer cross-threads, and a smoother rhythm across projects. It’s not about chasing perfection; it’s about keeping the signal strong where it matters.

A practical, step-by-step cleanup you can actually do

1. Identify who’s inactive

Most organizations track activity in the Admin Center or in their directory. Look for last login dates, recent activity, or an “Inactive” flag. If you don’t have a crisp status, it’s time to create one. A quick audit now saves you many headaches later.

2. Pull the recipients list from the distribution group

Open the sheet, project, or workspace where the distribution list lives. Note every email address that’s receiving alerts. If you’re using a shared distribution list, export a snapshot so you can compare before and after.

3. Cross-check with the active roster

Match the distribution list against your current, active users. If someone is listed as inactive, it’s their turn to step off the list. If you’ve got a new hire who’s using the same email as a former employee, you’ll need to confirm the active contact.

4. Remove the inactive folks

Carefully prune the inactive entries from the distribution list. If you’re using groups or folders within Smartsheet, this is often as simple as editing the group membership. Don’t rush the deletion; double-check names and emails so you don’t lose someone who’s still on the team but in a different project.

5. Test with a real, but controlled, ping

Send a test notification to a known active user and check that it lands in the right hands. It helps to have a quick follow-up check: a second test to a different active recipient, and a path away from any “cc” that shouldn’t get a ping. A tiny dry run now saves big confusion later.

6. Document the change and set a cadence

Record who did the cleanup, when, and why. Then set a schedule for periodic reviews—quarterly is common, but you can tailor it to your project tempo. When people know there’s a routine, the task stops feeling like a one-off chore.

7. Communicate the change

Let the team know that inactive addresses were pruned to improve clarity and speed. A quick note in a shared space or a short message from the project lead can set expectations correctly. People appreciate knowing why their notifications might look a little different after the cleanup.

Keeping the habit alive: governance and ongoing hygiene

• Create a designated owner

Assign someone to own the notification hygiene. It could be a project manager, an admin, or someone in IT. The key is accountability. Having one person who owns this keeps the effort consistent rather than episodic.

• Make use of clear role-based sharing

Instead of a single huge distribution list, consider role-based groups (e.g., Project Managers, Designers, QA). Keep roles up to date and limit cross-over. It’s easier to manage, and it makes it less likely you’ll end up pinging someone who has moved on.

• Tie the updates to personnel changes

When someone leaves, update the distribution list as part of the off-boarding checklist. The sooner you do it, the less noise you generate. This isn’t just tidy; it’s respectful of colleagues who still need to focus on their work.

• Use a lightweight change log

Maintain a simple log of changes to the recipient lists. A quick note like “Removed inactive user X on date Y; added replacement Z” gives you a breadcrumb trail. It’s not glamorous, but it’s practical and saves time during audits or reviews.

• Pair with smart defaults

If Smartsheet allows, set defaults to encourage lean distribution lists. For example, pair a project sheet with a default Active-Only recipient group. It’s a gentle nudge toward cleaner lists without micromanaging every move.

A few real-world reflections

• Noise vs. signal is a daily balance

Teams often tolerate some noise because it’s familiar. But when you see a spike in unanswered alerts or a flood of messages to people who aren’t actively involved, you know you’ve tipped the balance. The fix is usually the same: prune and protect the line of sight to those who matter now.

• People move, systems don’t always keep up

If you rely on an external directory, updates may lag. Treat this as a reminder to pair automatic feeds with human checks. Automation helps, but a human eye on the list keeps it honest.

• It’s not a one-and-done ticket

The moment you solve the problem, another team member might join or another project may change its structure. Regular, small maintenance wins beats big, sporadic cleanups. Consistency matters more than heroic efforts.

A quick note on tone and intent

Notifications should feel like a helpful nudge, not a loud shout. When the right people get the alerts, decisions happen faster and teams stay coordinated. If you’ve ever rolled your eyes at a ping about something you didn’t need to see, you know what I’m talking about. The goal is to minimize those moments, not to eliminate notifications altogether.

Bringing it all together

The simplest, most effective move to prevent notifications from landing in the wrong inbox is to remove inactive users from the distribution list. It’s direct, it’s reliable, and it pays off in real time. The other options—tweaking individual settings, relying on filters, or restricting automation—sound reasonable, but they don’t address the core issue as cleanly. A tidy list means fewer distractions and more focus on what really moves the project forward.

If you’re staring at a Smartsheet project with a stubbornly noisy notification stream, take a breath, map out who actually needs to hear what, and do a targeted cleanup. You’ll notice the difference in days, not weeks. And as you refine the habit, you’ll discover a calmer workflow where comments, approvals, and reminders happen with a smoother cadence.

So, what’s the practical takeaway? Start with a quick audit of your distribution lists. Remove the inactive. Confirm the active. Test once, then commit to a quarterly check. It’s a small act with a big payoff—one that respects your team’s time and keeps your Smartsheet core product experience clean, efficient, and human-friendly. If you’re curious about a streamlined approach or want a quick checklist to get you started, I’m happy to walk you through a tailored plan for your team.