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Adding static images to page designer


  • Inspiring
  • 6 replies

Hey all, 
I am trying to add two static images within the extension page designer through the image url but after a few hours the images break and stop working. 
I have added the images I want to use to another table within the same airtable base and I am copying the image address to add that to the image url for the static image. 
How do you stop the static images breaking or is there another way to add static images into page designer?

Any help would be amazing as I have googled and read other Q&A's and am completely stuck. 

Best answer by WWH

Here is Airtable's official solution: 

So sorry about the trouble you are encountering with Page Designer! Our new attachment functionality unfortunately will result in the attachment URL expiring after time when used as a static image. To workaround this change, you can use an Attachment Field instead of a static image URL. Here is what this workflow would look like: 

  1. Create another table called Static Image Templates, and have it include an Attachment field
  2. Add a record into that table, and upload the desired image onto the record
  3. In the original table where you are using the Page Designer extension, create:
  • 3a: A new Linked Record field referencing “Static Image Templates” 
  • 3b: A new Lookup field  referencing that “Attachment” field. Let’s call this “Reference Image Template” for example

      4. Set the result of step 2 into the field from step 3a in. every row into the original table.      (Essentially, linking records from the newly created Static Image Templates table to your original table)
      5. Finally, back in the Page Designer app, change that image from using a raw URL, to instead use the “Reference Image Template” field from 3b.

In short, the workflow above is using the image field within Page Designer instead of the image URL that now expires.

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17 replies

  • Author
  • Inspiring
  • 6 replies
  • March 10, 2023

Turns out it was the airtable update to URL security and expiry that was causing the issue I was having. I created an account with imgur and am privately hosting the static images I want to use on there.
I have been using the "direct link" that has the file type at the end of the link in page designer with no issue. 

If you are outside of the US and want to create an imgur account, download the app and create an account through the app as this does not require you to use a mobile number for verification. From there you will be able to login on your desktop.   


I have exactly the same issue. Waiting for solution…


  • Author
  • Inspiring
  • 6 replies
  • March 15, 2023
Paintedhouzz_LL wrote:

I have exactly the same issue. Waiting for solution…


I haven't found a solution that airtable has officially stated but I know the one I posted above about using imgur.com to host the images privately has been working perfectly for me. I know the images are only some-what private has someone could guess the link but the images are not public on imgur and for my application this isn't an issue. 

I also saw in another post someone mentioned using cloudinary as the 3rd party to host the images. I haven't tried cloudinary but that could also be worth a look as well. 


  • Author
  • Inspiring
  • 6 replies
  • Answer
  • March 17, 2023

Here is Airtable's official solution: 

So sorry about the trouble you are encountering with Page Designer! Our new attachment functionality unfortunately will result in the attachment URL expiring after time when used as a static image. To workaround this change, you can use an Attachment Field instead of a static image URL. Here is what this workflow would look like: 

  1. Create another table called Static Image Templates, and have it include an Attachment field
  2. Add a record into that table, and upload the desired image onto the record
  3. In the original table where you are using the Page Designer extension, create:
  • 3a: A new Linked Record field referencing “Static Image Templates” 
  • 3b: A new Lookup field  referencing that “Attachment” field. Let’s call this “Reference Image Template” for example

      4. Set the result of step 2 into the field from step 3a in. every row into the original table.      (Essentially, linking records from the newly created Static Image Templates table to your original table)
      5. Finally, back in the Page Designer app, change that image from using a raw URL, to instead use the “Reference Image Template” field from 3b.

In short, the workflow above is using the image field within Page Designer instead of the image URL that now expires.


WWH wrote:

Here is Airtable's official solution: 

So sorry about the trouble you are encountering with Page Designer! Our new attachment functionality unfortunately will result in the attachment URL expiring after time when used as a static image. To workaround this change, you can use an Attachment Field instead of a static image URL. Here is what this workflow would look like: 

  1. Create another table called Static Image Templates, and have it include an Attachment field
  2. Add a record into that table, and upload the desired image onto the record
  3. In the original table where you are using the Page Designer extension, create:
  • 3a: A new Linked Record field referencing “Static Image Templates” 
  • 3b: A new Lookup field  referencing that “Attachment” field. Let’s call this “Reference Image Template” for example

      4. Set the result of step 2 into the field from step 3a in. every row into the original table.      (Essentially, linking records from the newly created Static Image Templates table to your original table)
      5. Finally, back in the Page Designer app, change that image from using a raw URL, to instead use the “Reference Image Template” field from 3b.

In short, the workflow above is using the image field within Page Designer instead of the image URL that now expires.


This solution is not a solution really. The user has to link a record from  this new table  to  EVERY SINGLE record in the table the document is based on.
It is totally unusable. Basically the IMAGE element in the page designer becomes absolute.

Is there any other workaround that actually allows to add an image with the Logo to the documents? Is Airtable working on fixing this issue? To me it’s a killer.

Thank you.

 


WWH wrote:

I haven't found a solution that airtable has officially stated but I know the one I posted above about using imgur.com to host the images privately has been working perfectly for me. I know the images are only some-what private has someone could guess the link but the images are not public on imgur and for my application this isn't an issue. 

I also saw in another post someone mentioned using cloudinary as the 3rd party to host the images. I haven't tried cloudinary but that could also be worth a look as well. 


I am trying Imgur.com. Copied the image link from there but it does not work in the page designer .  ‘Failed to load image’. Is there a certain way to copy the link from Imgur.com or the link needs something to be added?

thank you!


WWH wrote:

Turns out it was the airtable update to URL security and expiry that was causing the issue I was having. I created an account with imgur and am privately hosting the static images I want to use on there.
I have been using the "direct link" that has the file type at the end of the link in page designer with no issue. 

If you are outside of the US and want to create an imgur account, download the app and create an account through the app as this does not require you to use a mobile number for verification. From there you will be able to login on your desktop.   


Where and how do you add a file type to the link? I tried but it does not work for me.

Thank you! 


  • Author
  • Inspiring
  • 6 replies
  • March 17, 2023
Paintedhouzz_LL wrote:

I am trying Imgur.com. Copied the image link from there but it does not work in the page designer .  ‘Failed to load image’. Is there a certain way to copy the link from Imgur.com or the link needs something to be added?

thank you!


You need to use the direct link in imgur as shown below: 

Then paste that direct link in the Image URL field in the static image as shown below: 


Thank you so much! It worked!


I'm in the UK and unable to create an Imgur account - However I've found that I can host the images on my own website and use those image urls to add images to my Page Designer docs.


  • Author
  • Inspiring
  • 6 replies
  • May 8, 2023
Claire_Barnett wrote:

I'm in the UK and unable to create an Imgur account - However I've found that I can host the images on my own website and use those image urls to add images to my Page Designer docs.


Glad that worked, i'll have to keep in mind next time! Also if you download imgur app anyone anywhere can create an account then you can use those details in the website. 


  • New Participant
  • 2 replies
  • May 15, 2023

We just ran into this issue with one of the units we set up an Airtable environment for.  We use Google Drive at our workplace, so I set up a shareable/downloadable link in Google Drive that will populate an image placement in page designer.  It does require a little revision to the URL so it's a direct link to the downloadable file, but this Makeuseof.com has a quick guide on how to the set that up.  You can also use this Google Drive Direct Link Generator, which is pretty handy.


  • New Participant
  • 2 replies
  • May 20, 2023
Mark_Rapacz wrote:

We just ran into this issue with one of the units we set up an Airtable environment for.  We use Google Drive at our workplace, so I set up a shareable/downloadable link in Google Drive that will populate an image placement in page designer.  It does require a little revision to the URL so it's a direct link to the downloadable file, but this Makeuseof.com has a quick guide on how to the set that up.  You can also use this Google Drive Direct Link Generator, which is pretty handy.


Brilliant solution -- thank you! 🙏🌞 Much better than the cluegy work around offered by Airtable!!🤪


  • New Participant
  • 1 reply
  • September 2, 2023
WWH wrote:

Here is Airtable's official solution: 

So sorry about the trouble you are encountering with Page Designer! Our new attachment functionality unfortunately will result in the attachment URL expiring after time when used as a static image. To workaround this change, you can use an Attachment Field instead of a static image URL. Here is what this workflow would look like: 

  1. Create another table called Static Image Templates, and have it include an Attachment field
  2. Add a record into that table, and upload the desired image onto the record
  3. In the original table where you are using the Page Designer extension, create:
  • 3a: A new Linked Record field referencing “Static Image Templates” 
  • 3b: A new Lookup field  referencing that “Attachment” field. Let’s call this “Reference Image Template” for example

      4. Set the result of step 2 into the field from step 3a in. every row into the original table.      (Essentially, linking records from the newly created Static Image Templates table to your original table)
      5. Finally, back in the Page Designer app, change that image from using a raw URL, to instead use the “Reference Image Template” field from 3b.

In short, the workflow above is using the image field within Page Designer instead of the image URL that now expires.


I have followed these instructions exactly and I am still getting errors.

 


  • Author
  • Inspiring
  • 6 replies
  • September 4, 2023
Dan_White wrote:

I have followed these instructions exactly and I am still getting errors.

 


Are you using the direct link from Imgur? 


  • New Participant
  • 2 replies
  • January 25, 2024

Hi WWH,
I found a way to do this that might be a little less of a hassle.  I created a Google Site (you can spin one up free with a Google Account), uploaded the image I needed to that site, published the site, then copied the image URL from there.  Seemed to work fine.
Thanks,
Mark


  • New Participant
  • 2 replies
  • March 6, 2024
Mark_Rapacz wrote:

We just ran into this issue with one of the units we set up an Airtable environment for.  We use Google Drive at our workplace, so I set up a shareable/downloadable link in Google Drive that will populate an image placement in page designer.  It does require a little revision to the URL so it's a direct link to the downloadable file, but this Makeuseof.com has a quick guide on how to the set that up.  You can also use this Google Drive Direct Link Generator, which is pretty handy.


The Google Drive Direct Link Generator is throwing an error now. 😩


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