Hello! My company may be no longer allowed to use Zapier so I'm trying to figure out how to recreate my Zap using Airtable automations. I need to be able to upload a batch of image files somewhere (our company uses Box), have Airtable match the filenames of the images to existing records, and upload that image file to the attachment field for the matching record. I've seen posts about bulk uploading images to new records but can't find specific info about matching images to existing records. Is this possible?
Upload Images to Existing Records' Attachment Field in Bulk
Hello @Kallan_Zimmerm1,
Automation scripts or extension scripts would be possible.
As an example, I asked Chatgpt to come up with Automation scripts.
This script can only handle one attachment per record.
Each execution changes the file name of all attachments in the table to the value of the field. If the field value and file name are already the same, skip it.
let table = base.getTable("table"); // Replace with the appropriate table name
let query = await table.selectRecordsAsync();
let fileFieldName = "File"; // Replace with the appropriate field name for attachments
let fileNameFieldName = "Filename"; // Specify the field name where the new file name is stored
// Process records one by one
for (let record of query.records) {
let attachmentField = record.getCellValue(fileFieldName);
if (attachmentField && attachmentField.length > 0) {
let attachment = attachmentField[0].url; // Get the URL of the attached file in the record
let fileName = attachmentField[0].filename.split(".")[0]; // Get the file name of the attached file in the record
let newFileName = record.getCellValue(fileNameFieldName);
if (newFileName && newFileName != fileName) {
// Save the updated attachment
await table.updateRecordAsync(record, {
[fileFieldName]: [{
url: attachment,
filename: newFileName,
}],
});
}
}
}
+12Hi,
I had such task for thousands of images, and upload files to the record is limited to 1000 files.
So I wrote script for that to run from button, which uploads all files loaded to 'Files' field.
The script asks table to load and field to read file names. After completion, it cleans 'Files' and if any files left 'orphaned', you can review and check.
The toughest part was - to check whether part of files are already existing in table, so they won't be uploaded. If you have duplicate file names, script possibly will load them to the first record, where it found such name. I had unique names for all files, so I hadn't test such scenario.
preparation: you need to create the table 'uploader' with 'Files' - attachment field, 'Status' , single-select with options 'LOADING' and 'idle' and button to run script.
I had no time to add 'Status' field detect/auto-create and to make the better readable code, and I won't have such tasks in future plans, so I just can share it 'AS IS'
//galex 2023
// Required: run from button in table 'uploader', attachments in 'Files'. Edit first 2 lines to change
// Optional: field Status with 'LOADING'/'idle' choices. You can edit or remove Status change lines
const table=base.getTable('uploader')
const FLS='Files'
const dest=await input.tableAsync('Where to upload?')
const rec=await input.recordAsync('',table)
if(!rec) throw new Error(`No rec defined`)
const data=rec.getCellValue(FLS)
if(!data) throw new Error('Nothing to upload')
const fld=dest.fields.filter(f=>f.type.toString()=='multipleAttachments')
if(!fld) throw new Error(`No attachment fields in ${dest.name}`)
const myfld=(fld.length>1)? await input.buttonsAsync('Choose field',fld.map(f=>f.name)):fld.pop()?.name||''
output.text(`Field to store files: ${myfld} `)
const imgurl=await input.fieldAsync('Which field contain filenames, to put files in respective records?',dest)
const IMG=imgurl.name
await table.updateRecordAsync(rec,{'Status':{name:'LOADING'}}) //Status change to Loading
const xname=file=>file.size+file.filename
const query=await dest.selectRecordsAsync({fields:[IMG,myfld]})
const fname=el=>el.filename.split('/').pop()
output.text(data.length+' files to go. Locating place by filenames...')
const rec_id=el=>query.records.find(r=>r.getCellValue(IMG)?.includes(fname(el)))?.id||'not_found'
const writer=data.reduce((a,e)=>a.set(rec_id(e),[...a.get(rec_id(e))||[], e]),new Map())
output.text('Done')
output.text('Data to write:')
output.inspect(writer)
const notfound=writer.has('not_found')? writer.get('not_found'):[]
if(notfound.length) writer.delete('not_found')
const existing=new Map([...writer.keys()].map(k=>[k,query.getRecord(k).getCellValue(myfld)||[]]))
output.text('Files currently located in destination places:')
output.inspect(existing)
const allexist=[...existing.values()].flat().map(xname)
const dupes=data.filter(d=>allexist.includes(xname(d)))
if(dupes.length) output.text( `Some files (${dupes.length}) already present in table:`)
if(dupes.length) output.inspect(dupes.map(d=>d.filename))
const xdupes=dupes.map(xname)
const newfile=({filename,url,...rest})=>({filename,url})
const check=rid=>writer.get(rid).filter(f=>!xdupes.includes(xname(f))).map(newfile)
const update=r=>({[myfld]:[...existing.get(r),...check(r)]})
const upd=[...writer.keys()].filter(r=>check(r).length).map(k=>({id:k,fields:update(k)}))
const uploadedNum=data.length-dupes.length-(notfound?.length||0)
output.text(`Uploading photos: ${uploadedNum} \n Records to be updated : ${upd.length}`)
if (upd.length) {
console.log(upd)
const go=await input.buttonsAsync('Press GO to start',['GO','Quit'])
if(go=='GO') while (upd.length) await dest.updateRecordsAsync(upd.splice(0,50))
output.text(go=='Quit'? 'upload skipped...':'Done')
}
output.text('Press button to Clean cell or exit without cleaning.')
if(notfound.length) output.text (`Unable to locate place for ${notfound.length} photo${notfound.length>1? 's':''} . They remain in cell, please review`)
const question=[`Clean (${uploadedNum})`, 'Exit']
if(dupes.length) question.push(`Clean loaded (${uploadedNum}) and existing (${dupes.length}) `)
const ask=await input.buttonsAsync('Select: ', question)
if(ask.includes('Clean')) await table.updateRecordAsync(rec.id,{'Files':ask.includes('existing')? [...notfound]:[...notfound,...dupes]})
await table.updateRecordAsync(rec,{'Status':{name:'idle'}}) //Status change to idle
output.text('Script completed')
Alexey_Gusev wrote:
Hi,
I had such task for thousands of images, and upload files to the record is limited to 1000 files.
So I wrote script for that to run from button, which uploads all files loaded to 'Files' field.
The script asks table to load and field to read file names. After completion, it cleans 'Files' and if any files left 'orphaned', you can review and check.
The toughest part was - to check whether part of files are already existing in table, so they won't be uploaded. If you have duplicate file names, script possibly will load them to the first record, where it found such name. I had unique names for all files, so I hadn't test such scenario.
preparation: you need to create the table 'uploader' with 'Files' - attachment field, 'Status' , single-select with options 'LOADING' and 'idle' and button to run script.
I had no time to add 'Status' field detect/auto-create and to make the better readable code, and I won't have such tasks in future plans, so I just can share it 'AS IS'
//galex 2023
// Required: run from button in table 'uploader', attachments in 'Files'. Edit first 2 lines to change
// Optional: field Status with 'LOADING'/'idle' choices. You can edit or remove Status change lines
const table=base.getTable('uploader')
const FLS='Files'
const dest=await input.tableAsync('Where to upload?')
const rec=await input.recordAsync('',table)
if(!rec) throw new Error(`No rec defined`)
const data=rec.getCellValue(FLS)
if(!data) throw new Error('Nothing to upload')
const fld=dest.fields.filter(f=>f.type.toString()=='multipleAttachments')
if(!fld) throw new Error(`No attachment fields in ${dest.name}`)
const myfld=(fld.length>1)? await input.buttonsAsync('Choose field',fld.map(f=>f.name)):fld.pop()?.name||''
output.text(`Field to store files: ${myfld} `)
const imgurl=await input.fieldAsync('Which field contain filenames, to put files in respective records?',dest)
const IMG=imgurl.name
await table.updateRecordAsync(rec,{'Status':{name:'LOADING'}}) //Status change to Loading
const xname=file=>file.size+file.filename
const query=await dest.selectRecordsAsync({fields:[IMG,myfld]})
const fname=el=>el.filename.split('/').pop()
output.text(data.length+' files to go. Locating place by filenames...')
const rec_id=el=>query.records.find(r=>r.getCellValue(IMG)?.includes(fname(el)))?.id||'not_found'
const writer=data.reduce((a,e)=>a.set(rec_id(e),[...a.get(rec_id(e))||[], e]),new Map())
output.text('Done')
output.text('Data to write:')
output.inspect(writer)
const notfound=writer.has('not_found')? writer.get('not_found'):[]
if(notfound.length) writer.delete('not_found')
const existing=new Map([...writer.keys()].map(k=>[k,query.getRecord(k).getCellValue(myfld)||[]]))
output.text('Files currently located in destination places:')
output.inspect(existing)
const allexist=[...existing.values()].flat().map(xname)
const dupes=data.filter(d=>allexist.includes(xname(d)))
if(dupes.length) output.text( `Some files (${dupes.length}) already present in table:`)
if(dupes.length) output.inspect(dupes.map(d=>d.filename))
const xdupes=dupes.map(xname)
const newfile=({filename,url,...rest})=>({filename,url})
const check=rid=>writer.get(rid).filter(f=>!xdupes.includes(xname(f))).map(newfile)
const update=r=>({[myfld]:[...existing.get(r),...check(r)]})
const upd=[...writer.keys()].filter(r=>check(r).length).map(k=>({id:k,fields:update(k)}))
const uploadedNum=data.length-dupes.length-(notfound?.length||0)
output.text(`Uploading photos: ${uploadedNum} \n Records to be updated : ${upd.length}`)
if (upd.length) {
console.log(upd)
const go=await input.buttonsAsync('Press GO to start',['GO','Quit'])
if(go=='GO') while (upd.length) await dest.updateRecordsAsync(upd.splice(0,50))
output.text(go=='Quit'? 'upload skipped...':'Done')
}
output.text('Press button to Clean cell or exit without cleaning.')
if(notfound.length) output.text (`Unable to locate place for ${notfound.length} photo${notfound.length>1? 's':''} . They remain in cell, please review`)
const question=[`Clean (${uploadedNum})`, 'Exit']
if(dupes.length) question.push(`Clean loaded (${uploadedNum}) and existing (${dupes.length}) `)
const ask=await input.buttonsAsync('Select: ', question)
if(ask.includes('Clean')) await table.updateRecordAsync(rec.id,{'Files':ask.includes('existing')? [...notfound]:[...notfound,...dupes]})
await table.updateRecordAsync(rec,{'Status':{name:'idle'}}) //Status change to idle
output.text('Script completed')
You can drag and drop multiple images into Airtable, creating new records for each.
https://nickjvturner.com/airtable-batch-import-multiple-images/
Seems to hinge on the "image field" selection.
+12nickjvturner wrote:
You can drag and drop multiple images into Airtable, creating new records for each.
https://nickjvturner.com/airtable-batch-import-multiple-images/
Seems to hinge on the "image field" selection.
I knew about uploading one image per new record in gallery view. But the article helped me to realize how to distribute uploaded images between existing records without script, thanks.
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