How to Add Images via URL to the Document Designer in SmartSuite

Adding Images by URL in the Document Designer

You can add images via URL to the Document Designer in SmartSuite, a crucial feature for professional document customization. I’m Gavin Brennen, a Product Specialist at SmartSuite, and in this episode of SmartTips I walk you through how.

If you're unfamiliar with the Document Designer, our Document Designer help article covers all the basics. But if you already use this feature, you’ll recognize the standard layout: four fields that dynamically populate per record, a PDF export function, and aesthetic elements like text and lines. The challenge? Adding images via URL.

Why Your Image URL May Not Work

A common issue occurs when users store images on external platforms like Google Drive or Dropbox. They obtain a link and paste it into the Image URL field, expecting it to work. The typical steps are:

1. Open Elements in the Document Designer.
2. Click Image to insert an image field.
3. Paste the image URL into the designated field.

However, the image doesn’t appear because platforms like Google Drive add a wrapper around the link, preventing SmartSuite from recognizing it as a direct image file.

Example of a Wrapped Google Drive Link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/FILE_ID/view?usp=sharing

This wrapped URL directs you to Google’s interface, not the raw image file itself. That’s why your image remains blank.

How to Fix Google Drive Image URLs for SmartSuite

To successfully use a Google Drive image in the platform, modify the URL by following these steps:

1. Identify the file/d/ portion of the link.
2. Replace file/d/ with uc?export=view&id.
3. Remove /view?usp=sharing from the end of the URL.

Corrected Image URL Format:

Original URL:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1A2B3C4D5E6F7G8H9I/view?usp=sharing

Modified URL:

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1A2B3C4D5E6F7G8H9I

Update: Google changed how Drive serves embedded files in January 2024, so the uc?export=view form no longer works for many files. If the image stays blank, use the thumbnail form https://drive.google.com/thumbnail?id=FILE_ID&sz=w2000 instead, or upload the image to a SmartSuite file field and use its URL.

Inserting the Corrected URL in SmartSuite

Once you have the modified URL:

1. Copy the updated link.
2. Navigate to the platform’s Document Designer.
3. Paste the link into the Image URL field.
4. Verify that the image loads properly.

Benefits of Using Direct Image URLs in SmartSuite

• Ensures images display correctly in PDFs
• Eliminates broken links caused by wrappers
• Supports smooth document automation
• Improves the platform’s ability to read external images

Final Thoughts

This simple fix allows you to integrate external images into SmartSuite’s Document Designer, ensuring your PDFs and reports display correctly. If you need more help, check out our official help article.

Until next time, keep exploring the platform!

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