Field data not updating for automations

[Dustin_Good]

Continuing to work on a base for automated emails regarding expired credit cards. @Ben.Young already helped me with a formula field, but now as I take the next steps into automated emails I’ve hit a weird issue.

As part of my automated message I want to include a link to our blank fillable Credit Card Authorization PDF. So I found the amazing script for converting attachments to urls, executed the script, filled my new form link field with URLs (formatted as long text), however when I attempt to enter this field as dynamic data in my automation it isn’t showing the URL.

[Ben_Young1 · Accepted solution]

Hey @Dustin_Good!

Out of curiosity, have you tried re-testing your entire automation flow from the trigger to your current action?

Testing an automation creates a snapshot of the record that triggered the automation. Thus, changing a field value to use in an automation requires that you re-test the automation flow starting from the trigger.

[Vivid-Squid]

As a heads up, I think Airtable is changing the way they store attachments in the near future. You will not want to email someone a link to your uploaded attachment in Airtable as the URL will expire without notice.

You will want to store the file in another service like Dropbox or Google Docs.

[Dustin_Good]

Holy smokes @Vivid-Squid …that is interesting. As a side question, does that mean user submitted attachments via a form need to be relocated and linked?

Back to the original issue, I just uploaded my generic “New form” to google drive and pulled the link into my “new form” field. Is this best practice?

Also I originally added unique forms for over 250 customers by scanning them into a google drive folder then attaching them through Airtable file selector. This is slightly different than what I did above with the “New Form” does it matter if I attach a form vs copying in a link?

@Ben.Young I did not re-test previously but the issue seems to have resolved. Thanks again!

[Vivid-Squid]

It is my understanding that the internal URL will expire after an unspecified amount of time. So an uploaded file may have a URL that points to it now, but in an hour that URL will no longer work as it has been changed on the backend.

There is a long thread here that you can read more about how it might affect you:

Soon You'll Need a CDN Show and tell

One of the best features of Airtable is the ability to drag images, files, and even videos (i.e., digital artefacts) right into an attachment field. When you do this, Airtable makes a copy of your image and stores metadata about the image into your base. It also quietly moves the copy of your image to its content delivery network (CDN). The URL to your image has been openly accessible providing a wonderful way to share access to your assets For almost eight years, this has been possible but that…

Airtable Support

Changes to Airtable attachments

In an effort to increase attachment security, on November 8th, 2022 Airtable will be incorporating expiring links functionality. That means when you share attachments stored in Airtable via URL wit...

[Bill_French]

Dustin_Good:

As a side question, does that mean user submitted attachments via a form need to be relocated and linked?

If – AND ONLY IF – you plan to utilize such assets via their URLs. The images themselves will still be sustained; just the URLs will be fundamentally worthless. As such, embedding them in messages or any external content or data fields after November will be disappointing.