I’m working with Integromat and need help connecting Google Docs with Airtable. My goal is to take a Google document and attach it to a record in Airtable.
The issue I’m running into is with the Airtable “Update Record” action. It needs a “File URL” input but I can’t figure out what URL to provide.
First I tried using the “Export Links: Application PDF” option as the file URL. This seemed to work at first, but when I click on the attached file in Airtable, it just redirects me to a Google login page instead of downloading the actual document.
Then I attempted to use the “Download a Document” module from Integromat’s Google Docs toolkit. My plan was to download the doc first, then pass it to Airtable. But this approach has problems too - the download module gives me the file content and name, while Airtable still wants a URL pointing to the file location.
What’s the right way to handle this workflow? How can I get a proper file URL that Airtable will accept?
I’ve hit this exact problem several times. Airtable wants a direct file URL without authentication, but you’re stuck with either authenticated Google links or raw file data.
Here’s what works: Use the “Download a Document” module, then pipe it through Integromat’s “Upload a file” module to cloud storage like AWS S3 or Google Cloud Storage. Make the bucket public read and you’ll get a clean, direct download URL.
S3 works best - set up a lifecycle policy to auto-delete temp files after a few days. Saves storage costs and keeps things tidy.
Make sure your storage bucket returns proper content headers when Airtable hits the URL. S3 handles this automatically, other services might need manual setup.
Avoid temporary hosting or webhook solutions - they break under traffic spikes and you’ll waste time debugging.
This is a super common problem with file handling between these platforms. Airtable’s file URL input needs a direct download link that’s publicly accessible - Google Drive sharing URLs and file content data just won’t work.
Here’s what fixed it for me: I used Integromat’s file storage as a middle step. Download the document with the Google Docs module, then upload it to something like Dropbox or Integromat’s temporary storage. Now you’ve got a proper public URL that Airtable can actually grab.
I’ve also had success converting the downloaded file to base64, then uploading that to a simple file hosting API before sending the URL to Airtable. The trick is making sure your URL gives direct file access without any authentication - that’s exactly why Google export links don’t work.
You’re hitting the classic problem where Airtable needs a public download URL, but Google’s export links are locked behind authentication. I ran into this exact thing last year building a document workflow.
What worked for me was a two-step process with Integromat’s HTTP module. I’d download the content through the Google Docs module, then set up a webhook endpoint to temporarily host the file and spit out a clean download URL. You can use Webhook.site or just throw together a simple cloud function.
Another thing that worked well was using Integromat’s data store to hold the file data temporarily, then create a public endpoint that serves it directly. Cuts out external storage and gives you full control over the URL format Airtable wants.
Your problem is that Airtable needs public file URLs, but Google Docs export links require authentication. I fixed this using Integromat’s cloud storage modules. Download the document content through the Google Docs module, then use Integromat’s “Create a file” module to upload it to Dropbox or OneDrive. Both generate public sharing links that work great with Airtable’s attachments. Just set sharing permissions to public during upload, as most Integromat cloud storage modules offer that option. This approach bypasses Google’s authentication issue and provides stable, permanent links that won’t expire like temporary solutions.
honestly, just use google drive api instead of docs api - way easier. upload your doc to drive, set sharing to ‘anyone with link’, then grab the download url. skip the middleware headache and make it public - airtable pulls it instantly without any auth problems.