Images from Airtable to Google Slides via Zapier

To get the PNG data from Airtable using the "Search" method without dealing with expired URLs, you might consider these alternatives:

Use the "Retrieve File Contents" Action in Zapier: In Zapier, when you use the "New/Updated Record" trigger, ensure that the "Include File Contents" option is enabled. This will directly pull the file contents into Zapier, bypassing the need to handle URLs.

Download Images via API: If you prefer sticking with the "Search" method, you can use Airtable's API to fetch the file contents directly. You'll need to make an API call to retrieve the attachment's content. This involves writing a small script or using a code step in Zapier to handle the API request and retrieve the actual image data.

Automate with a Custom Integration: If the above options don’t suit your needs, you could create a custom integration using a combination of Airtable's API, a server-side script, and Zapier. The script would fetch the image data and make it available to Zapier as needed.

These methods should help you bypass the issue of expired URLs and get the PNG data into your Google Slides.

Hmm, what if you used the hydrated link?  

When we do an API call to retrieve a record Airtable returns a working attachment link that expires in a couple of hours, and so it's pretty weird that the URL you're getting is expired immediately

As a datapoint, I just tested doing a Search for an Airtable record the attachment URL works fine when I paste it into the browser, so not too sure what's happening there!

I'll try that, for now I reworked the flow and am using the updated field method.. which is not as efficient but is working.. thanks for your help!

That project sounds like a fun challenge with all the moving parts! Given the limitations of using the "Search" method in Airtable, where image URLs can expire, the suggested "New/Updated Record" trigger with the "Include File Contents" option is definitely a reliable way to get the PNG data directly into Zapier. This allows you to bypass expired URLs and directly embed the image content into Google Slides.

However, if you want to stick with the "Search" method, a potential workaround would be to set up an automation in Airtable that duplicates the image to a cloud storage service (like Google Drive or Dropbox) and generates a shareable, non-expiring link. This link can then be pulled into Zapier via the search.