Aug 26, 2019 06:12 PM
Is there a way to do a mass download of photos from my airtable? The Bulk Upload worked well, now I need to do the reverse! Thanks, All
Aug 26, 2019 06:15 PM
Yes. I’ve done this, but I had to write script using the API. What’s the target location of the photos? Perhaps a Google Drive?
Aug 26, 2019 07:19 PM
This could also be done using Integromat if you want to save the files to Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.
Aug 26, 2019 07:28 PM
Hi Bill thanks for the quick response - the target file is currently on Dropbox.
As I look at the airtable, I see that the photos are not all named with their subject, so I need to rename each photo with its name and year (both fields are in the AirTable) and then sort them by year. so if the year were the first part of the new filename, they would self-sort.
Is this within the powers of the programmer’s dark arts, or do I need to have someone do it by hand?
Aug 26, 2019 07:55 PM
Quick tip about replying to a thread via email: remove your signature. I have a hunch that’s why the post is flagged for review.
To the point of your post, the renaming of the files could also be handled by the same Integromat scenario that saves them to Dropbox. If you want to go this route and would like some help setting it up, let me know.
Aug 26, 2019 08:07 PM
Justin- My Bad, thanks for the heads up. Is there a way to delete the signature from the post?
Aug 26, 2019 08:09 PM
I think this can be done with a Zapier process as @Justin_Barrett has suggested. And I think the use of adjacent fields for file names is also doable.
Best to exhaust this approach first before writing API code.
Mar 01, 2020 04:02 PM
Check out:
Tools that empower Airtable users to process unlimited records in bulk with scheduling and automation features. An alternative to Zapier and Integromat.
Mar 04, 2020 10:44 AM
Hey David,
Echoing other folks on this thread – Airtable doesn’t currently support bulk download of attachments.
Still, you can set up a Zapier integration that moves all files in an attachment field to Google Drive, where it’s easy to bulk-download files. As a note, Zapier has some limits around how many tasks you can run per month, depending on what pricing plan you use (they have both free and paid plans). Moving attachments via the zap setup suggested below will result in 1 task per attachment exported, so I’d recommend keeping that in mind as you consider whether or not this is the right solution for you. If you decide to use this zap, first create a new grid view on the table with the attachments you’d like to export. Name this view “Exports.” In this view, create a new checkbox field and check off just a single record that has an attachment. Then, configure a filter in this view that only shows records where the checkbox field is checked. Likewise, only the one checked record should be visible.
Next, create a new Zap in Zapier. (If you’re new to Zapier, I’d recommend taking a look at this guide.) Set a new record entering the export view as the trigger for the zap. For the Trigger Step, select the following:
Trigger App: Airtable
Airtable Trigger: New record in view
Account: Here you’ll need to provide your API key (from Airtable.com/account) to grant Zapier access to your Airtable Account.
Set up Options: Select the Export View
Test this step and click Continue. For the next (action) step, set up the following:
Action App: Google Drive
Google Drive Action: Upload a file
Choose Account: Select your Google Drive account.
Set up template: It’s possible to precisely specify where the files are uploaded to in Google Drive. It’s most important to set File to {Name of attachment field} URL. In this case, since the attachment field is named Attachments, it’s “Attachments URL”
If you like, the File Name can be pulled from the table’s primary field.
After testing, save the Zap and turn it on. The file(s) in the attachment field in Export View should now be in your Google Drive. If it is, check the checkbox field for all the records with attachments that you’d like to export to Google Drive. As these records enter the Export View, Zapier will send their attachments to Google Drive. Depending on your Zapier plan, it may take as long as fifteen minutes for this to happen. Finally, navigate to the “Recent” section in your Google Drive. Select many files at once by shift-clicking. With the files selected, you can download them all at once.
Hope this is a bit helpful.
Oct 29, 2020 01:46 PM
@Pete Thank you for these thorough walk-thru of how to build the bulk download zap. I’m having trouble getting Zap to send ALL of the attached images from a record. Right now I’m only seeing the first image in my google drive. So that means the Zap is working (sort of). Any suggestions of what I might be missing?