Expiring Download URL Attachment Filename

[siliceous]

Hi,

I have been cracking my head for hours trying to find something in Airtable documentation for this.

We are trying to upload Airtable attachments to our website (so we don't have to rely on Airtable). Is there a way to:

1. display the Expiring Download URL in a field (using some formula) and
2. change the the Expiring Download URL's filename (because they look absolutely horrible) using an Airtable automation script prior to sending it to our website?

[kuovonne]

You can use scripting to extract an expiring attachment url. You cannot use formulas. Note that the expiring url does not have include a filename. You can get the filename using scripting.

[ScottWorld]

In addition to scripting, you can also use Airtable's native automations to extract the expiring URL and put it into another field. You can also use an external automation tool like Make to do the same thing. Note that the URL will expire after 2 hours, so if you need access to it again, you would need to run the automation again.

[ScottWorld]

Also, I don't know if you can rename an attachment via scripting, but I know that you can use the API to re-upload an attachment with a brand new filename.

[kuovonne]

You can re-upload an attachment via scripting with a new filename. However, this doesn't change the fact that the filename is not included in the expiring url. If you only use the url to download the attachment, you will get an ugly, nonsense filename.

I also suggest using this technique carefully (either through Make, the API, scripting, or any other method). If for some reason the attachment is unavailable when you try to re-upload the attachment, it will be lost. Yes, this happened to me once. Since then, I usually use a temporary attachment field when renaming attachments.

[siliceous]

Thanks @kuovonne .

[siliceous]

@ScottWorld 

Do you ever feel ashamed of plugging your Make affiliate links everywhere?

[ScottWorld]

@siliceous 

First of all, I have written legal permission from Airtable to post my affiliate links here. (You will also notice that the terms & conditions do not prohibit affiliate links either, but I got explicit written permission.)

Second of all, I talk about Make because it is often the best answer for no-coders, and I love the product, and I use it every day with my clients. Additionally, I always tell people if there is a “non-Make way” of doing things natively in Airtable. But, as is often the case with Airtable, we either need to turn to scripting or external tools to solve our problems. I don’t know scripting, and I would never steer anybody towards Zapier, because Make is cheaper & more powerful. 

Finally, I do feel ashamed. I feel ashamed for you for being so petty & ungrateful that you have a problem with someone who has provided over 6,000 answers FOR FREE to people — and yes, Make is frequently the answer, especially for people who don’t know scripting — and you have a problem that I earn an extra $60 per month from affiliate links after I’ve spent literally hundreds of hours — literally DAYS worth of my time — helping people like yourself for free. I’m getting “reimbursed” for all of my volunteer time at the rate of a few cents per hour.

And yet, instead of being grateful for the correct answers I gave you above, this is how you treat me?

I took a quick peek at your posting history, and as far as I can tell, it looks like this relationship only goes one-way: It appears like you have not given any solutions or answers to others, but you have repeatedly come back here to take answers for yourself.

And yet, even though you only come here to take instead of give, you lash out at one of the very few people who is here answering questions & solving problems for free?

I will accept an apology, and we can move beyond this. 

[siliceous]

@ScottWorld 

Clearly, you haven't really taken the time to go through my profile because if you had, you would have seen that I have indeed contributed to several threads early on for which I received several "Kudos", some from very well-known names on this forum.

Taking a leaf from your book and @TheTimeSavingCo's, I placed a link in my signature. Shockingly, I was immediately banned from posting and my HELPFUL messages deleted. Considering I was actually HELPING people here, I contacted the moderators and I was told it was "against Community Guidelines" to have a link and/or to solicit produts or services.

Therefore, I am somewhat surprised that their "Community Guidelines" only seems to apply to most and not certain others, and as for your request for an apology, I really don't see what for.

Naturally, I stopped HELPING people here because, just like you, I feel I should get something in return for my time spent HELPING people here. So instead, I have decided to focus on building up my own website.

[ScottWorld]

@siliceous This is the last time I shall ever respond to you, because you do not deserve any more of my time than you have already stolen. 

Here’s the difference: You were spamming people while we are helping people. 

The Airtable Community Guidelines state:

1. ”Don’t sign your posts — every post has your profile information attached to it.”

AND

2. “Please do not discuss other products unless you’re specifically discussing other products’ integrations with Airtable.”