Extracting image URLs from Airtable array fields

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1

I’m trying to work with the Airtable API, specifically the ‘list records’ feature. The sample code works fine for text fields, but I’m having trouble with image fields that contain arrays of URLs for different sizes.

Here’s what I’ve tried:

someFunction((records, getMore) => {
  records.forEach(r => {
    console.log('Got', r.get('ProfilePic'));
  });
});

This gives me output like:

Got (1) [{...}]
Got (1) [{...}]
Got (1) [{...}]

How can I get the actual URL from these array fields? I need to access a specific item in the array. Any tips on handling this type of data structure in Airtable would be super helpful!

2

I’ve dealt with this issue before when working with Airtable’s API. The trick is to understand that attachment fields return an array of objects, not just URLs. To get the actual URL, you need to access the ‘url’ property of the first object in the array.

Try modifying your code like this:

someFunction((records, getMore) => {
  records.forEach(r => {
    const profilePic = r.get('ProfilePic');
    if (profilePic && profilePic.length > 0) {
      console.log('Image URL:', profilePic[0].url);
    } else {
      console.log('No image found');
    }
  });
});

This should give you the URL you’re looking for. Remember, Airtable’s image URLs are temporary, so if you need long-term access, consider downloading or hosting the images elsewhere.

3

I’ve worked extensively with Airtable’s API, and I can shed some light on your issue. The attachment fields in Airtable return an array of objects, not just simple URLs. Each object contains properties about the attachment, including the URL.

To extract the URL, you need to access the ‘url’ property of the specific object in the array. One robust approach is to iterate over the array of attachments and log each URL, as shown below:

someFunction((records, getMore) => {
  records.forEach(r => {
    const profilePics = r.get('ProfilePic');
    if (Array.isArray(profilePics) && profilePics.length > 0) {
      profilePics.forEach((pic, index) => {
        console.log(`Image ${index + 1} URL:`, pic.url);
      });
    } else {
      console.log('No images found for this record');
    }
  });
});

This method logs all image URLs, which can be particularly useful if there are multiple attachments in one field. Just remember that these URLs are temporary. For long-term access, you might want to download and store the images on your server.

4

hey there! i had a similar issue. try this:

someFunction((records, getMore) => {
  records.forEach(r => {
    const pic = r.get('ProfilePic')[0];
    console.log('URL:', pic ? pic.url : 'No image');
  });
});

this should grab the url of the first image in the array. hope it helps!