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Formula to get image attachment url

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Carol_Skelly
4 - Data Explorer
4 - Data Explorer

I have an attachment field containing images. I see that the stored attachment object has a url property. In another formula field I would like to show just the attachement url. Any ideas?

Thanks.

3 Solutions

Accepted Solutions
AlliAlosa
10 - Mercury
10 - Mercury

The following formula will give you the URL for an attachment field :slightly_smiling_face:

RIGHT(LEFT({Attachment Field}, LEN({Attachment Field}) - 1), LEN(LEFT({Attachment Field}, LEN({Attachment Field}) - 1)) - SEARCH("https://", {Attachment Field}) + 1)

See Solution in Thread

While this could technically be done in a single formula, it would be a massive formula. In cases like this, I prefer to divide and conquer, splitting the effort across more than one formula field.

To begin, I’ll take the default output from the attachment field and spread things out a bit by replacing the parentheses around the URLS with large blocks of spaces. I’ll also prepend a number that tells me how many attachments exist, which I’ll use later. This is a formula field that I named {Expanded}:

IF(
    Attachment,
    ((LEN(Attachment) - LEN(SUBSTITUTE(Attachment, ",", ""))) + 1)
    & " - "
    & SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(Attachment, "(", REPT(" ", 100)), ")", REPT(" ", 100))
)

That creates the following output (shown in the field’s expanded view, and based on a three-attachment field):

Screen Shot 2020-06-29 at 11.47.38 AM

The URL extraction then becomes much easier. Each URL is grabbed in a 200-character block using the MID() function, and the surrounding spaces are trimmed off with the TRIM() function. In my test, I found that I could grab the first URL block from my expanded string starting at the 100th character, the second at the 400th, and the third at the 700th. If you have really long filenames, these starting positions may need slight adjustments. For separation between each URL in the final output, I just used commas, but you can change that as desired. Anyway, here’s the final formula, which I put into a field named {URLs}.

IF(
    Expanded,
    TRIM(MID(Expanded, 100, 200))
    & IF(LEFT(Expanded, 1) > 1, ", " & TRIM(MID(Expanded, 400, 200)))
    & IF(LEFT(Expanded, 1) > 2, ", " & TRIM(MID(Expanded, 700, 200)))
)

Screen Shot 2020-06-29 at 11.56.22 AM

See Solution in Thread

For more than three attachments, keep expanding the second formula. Notice the pattern in the MID() functions:

It starts by grabbing characters beginning at position 100…

…then position 400, then position 700. In short, we’re adding 300 each time to grab the next URL. Just keep that pattern going. The next one would start at position 1000, then 1300, then 1600, etc.

Also notice the pattern in the comparisons made before grabbing each subsequent piece. Each line increases the number we’re comparing against from the start of {Expanded}. The first one is just grabbed outright because we know we have at least one URL. If we have more than one—IF(LEFT(Expanded, 1) > 1—we grab the next piece. If more than 2, grab the next one. Keep that pattern going as well.

Also, for more than 9 attachments, you would need to change all instances LEFT(Expanded, 1) to LEFT(Expanded, 2).

A lot of programming is about finding patterns. Learn to see the patterns in the data you’re playing with, and you can write code to find things based on those patterns.

See Solution in Thread

16 Replies 16

Where do you see this URL property? Are you looking at the underlying data via an API? I created a test table with an attachment field, and added an image, but I don’t see a URL property anywhere.

AlliAlosa
10 - Mercury
10 - Mercury

The following formula will give you the URL for an attachment field :slightly_smiling_face:

RIGHT(LEFT({Attachment Field}, LEN({Attachment Field}) - 1), LEN(LEFT({Attachment Field}, LEN({Attachment Field}) - 1)) - SEARCH("https://", {Attachment Field}) + 1)

Hey, is there a way to get only the urls separated by coma, without the file names?

The formula that @AlliAlosa posted will work for a single attachment. With multiple attachments, the process would be much more complex because the filenames and URLs are interspersed. You can’t write a single formula that would extract the URLs from an arbitrary number of attachments. For example, if you write a formula (or series of formulas) that can extract up to five URLs, you’ll have to revisit the code the moment you have more than five attachments.

What I suggest doing is using the sample that @AlliAlosa provided to learn how the first URL was extracted. To get the second URL, search for it using the index of the first one as a reference. Same for the third, and so on.

Abdulrahman_Alz
6 - Interface Innovator
6 - Interface Innovator

I made a tool for this. It takes attachments, extracts the URLs from them, and then saves all of the URLs (comma separated) in a new field.

Hello!.. I saw your video and is amazing!!!, great work. I’ll boy some of your extensions.
Nick

Greg_B
5 - Automation Enthusiast
5 - Automation Enthusiast

Hello,
Thanks for that!

Would you be able to make a formula that gets up to 3 URLs if there’s up to 3 attachments in the attachment field?

I’m trying but I get confused with all the left, len, right…

@AlliAlosa @Justin_Barrett

While this could technically be done in a single formula, it would be a massive formula. In cases like this, I prefer to divide and conquer, splitting the effort across more than one formula field.

To begin, I’ll take the default output from the attachment field and spread things out a bit by replacing the parentheses around the URLS with large blocks of spaces. I’ll also prepend a number that tells me how many attachments exist, which I’ll use later. This is a formula field that I named {Expanded}:

IF(
    Attachment,
    ((LEN(Attachment) - LEN(SUBSTITUTE(Attachment, ",", ""))) + 1)
    & " - "
    & SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(Attachment, "(", REPT(" ", 100)), ")", REPT(" ", 100))
)

That creates the following output (shown in the field’s expanded view, and based on a three-attachment field):

Screen Shot 2020-06-29 at 11.47.38 AM

The URL extraction then becomes much easier. Each URL is grabbed in a 200-character block using the MID() function, and the surrounding spaces are trimmed off with the TRIM() function. In my test, I found that I could grab the first URL block from my expanded string starting at the 100th character, the second at the 400th, and the third at the 700th. If you have really long filenames, these starting positions may need slight adjustments. For separation between each URL in the final output, I just used commas, but you can change that as desired. Anyway, here’s the final formula, which I put into a field named {URLs}.

IF(
    Expanded,
    TRIM(MID(Expanded, 100, 200))
    & IF(LEFT(Expanded, 1) > 1, ", " & TRIM(MID(Expanded, 400, 200)))
    & IF(LEFT(Expanded, 1) > 2, ", " & TRIM(MID(Expanded, 700, 200)))
)

Screen Shot 2020-06-29 at 11.56.22 AM

Thanks for your Formula !

What would it be with more than 3 attachments ? For example 10 attachments ?

For more than three attachments, keep expanding the second formula. Notice the pattern in the MID() functions:

It starts by grabbing characters beginning at position 100…

…then position 400, then position 700. In short, we’re adding 300 each time to grab the next URL. Just keep that pattern going. The next one would start at position 1000, then 1300, then 1600, etc.

Also notice the pattern in the comparisons made before grabbing each subsequent piece. Each line increases the number we’re comparing against from the start of {Expanded}. The first one is just grabbed outright because we know we have at least one URL. If we have more than one—IF(LEFT(Expanded, 1) > 1—we grab the next piece. If more than 2, grab the next one. Keep that pattern going as well.

Also, for more than 9 attachments, you would need to change all instances LEFT(Expanded, 1) to LEFT(Expanded, 2).

A lot of programming is about finding patterns. Learn to see the patterns in the data you’re playing with, and you can write code to find things based on those patterns.

Thank you so much. You save my day ! Good Work and clear explanations.

Thanks so much, you have saved me hours of work!

Alvaro_Hernande
6 - Interface Innovator
6 - Interface Innovator

Suddenly, today, all those formulas above have stopped working. By some reason Í do not understand. Maybe Airtable did un update to block this way of getting a permanent URL from attachments. Anyone knows why this is happening? Thank's in advance. 🙂

gaston
6 - Interface Innovator
6 - Interface Innovator

Same issue as @Alvaro_Hernande here!! 😓

@Justin_Barrett @ScottWorld any idea on what might be happening?

Founder @Boltflow

Formulas can no longer be used to get URLs of attachments, but non-working URLs will still show up to prevent old formulas from completely breaking. (For example, an old formula might have pulled a filename out of the attachment field in addition to the URL. The URL still won't work anymore, but the filename would still be valid.)

p.s. I would encourage people to post questions about Airtable's attachment changes at TableForums.com, because all the top Airtable consultants/experts are answering questions there. I'm not sure how many of them are still monitoring this thread or are still monitoring this community anymore.

This has broken for me as well which is very frustrating.