I’m using an inventory form with 5 text fields and 2 photo fields. I want the form submissions to automatically create new rows in Airtable. I set up a Zapier integration, and it’s working great for the text fields. But I’m having trouble with the photo fields - only the file names are showing up in Airtable, not the actual images.
Has anyone figured out how to get the photos to sync properly? Or do you know of any other tools that could help with this? I’ve been scratching my head over this for a while now.
Any tips or suggestions would be super helpful. Thanks in advance!
hey there! i’ve run into this before too. frustrating, right? have u tried using Integromat (Make now)? it’s way better at handling files than Zapier. or maybe look into Airtable’s own forms - they upload pics directly. no middleman needed. good luck!
I’ve grappled with this issue before and found that using Airtable’s API directly can be a more reliable approach than depending on third-party integrations. It requires a stronger coding background but gives you complete control over how your data is processed.
In my experience, I set up a server-side script using Node.js to manage form submissions. When a submission came in, I processed the data and uploaded the images to a cloud storage service like AWS S3, ensuring that Airtable received proper URLs instead of just filenames. The script then made an API call to Airtable to create a record with both the text fields and image URLs.
Although this method takes extra work to set up, it is very robust and can easily accommodate more complex logic in the future. If coding isn’t your preference, tools like n8n or Pipedream offer visual interfaces and tend to handle file uploads more effectively than Zapier.
I’ve dealt with a similar issue when syncing form data to Airtable. The problem likely stems from how Zapier handles file attachments. One workaround I found effective is using a cloud storage service as an intermediary. Set up a Zap to first upload the images to a service like Google Drive or Dropbox, then pass the public URLs to Airtable instead of the raw files. This way, Airtable can display the images properly.
Alternatively, you might want to look into using Integromat (now Make) instead of Zapier. In my experience, it handles file transfers more seamlessly, especially when working with Airtable. It might require a bit more setup, but it could solve your image sync issues without needing a separate storage solution.
If you’re open to changing your form tool, you could also consider using Airtable’s native form feature. It’ll directly upload images to your base, bypassing any third-party integration hiccups.