Airtable automatically deleting attachments uploaded via Make/Integromat

[maradas]

I know this issue has been discussed before, but there doesn’t seem to have ever been a solution discovered, so I’m bringing it up again in case anyone’s found an answer in the last 1.5 years.

The problem: occasionally/often, when an attachment is uploaded to Airtable via a Make.com automation, Airtable will immediately delete the file after upload. In the record history, it will say that the user who created the record also deleted it, but that’s not the case.

Here’s a Loom video illustrating.

Important notes:

• I’m using the Share Link Google Drive module to get the share link. The automation itself doesn’t seem to be the issue.
• Airtable will occasionally keep the attachments, but less often than it seems to delete them.
• The files being uploaded are all “accepted” file formats, like jpg, pdf, etc.

Anyone have any ideas?

[Greg_F]

Yes it is a know issue, I have made a video about a workaround some time before. You basically use can use Make webhook as an upload URL … - the webhook downloads the file from Drive and returns as data in webhook response. In Airtable attachment upload field you use webhook url with Google File ID.

I hope it helps!

[Lotic_Digital]

This is a known issue - Airtable uses the service Filestack in processing attachments, and Google Drive at time rate limits downloads from Filestack, which causes transient failures like those observed here.

[Titouan_Parand]

Oh my god YES i'm not crazy !

I have the same problem with data coming from a typeform.

Trigger is typeform.
Zapier update the data on airtable.
The record is created, WITH the document.
A few seconds later, the document is removed.

We can see that on the record history.

And google drive is not involved here

[theo_voglimacci]

Hello,

I have the same issue. How can we fix this issue?

[Titouan_Parand]

I don't remember exactly but I think your can store 2 things: the url of the file or the file itself. Try both, I think one works better.