How to Add Images via URL to the Document Designer in SmartSuite
Welcome back to another episode of SmartTips! I’m Gavin Brennan, a Product Specialist at SmartSuite, and today I’ll walk you through adding images via URL to the Document Designer—a crucial feature for professional document customization.
If you're unfamiliar with the Document Designer, I’ve included a help article in the description that 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:
- Open Elements in the Document Designer.
- Click Image to insert an image field.
- 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 SmartSuite, modify the URL by following these steps:
- Identify the file/d/ portion of the link.
- Replace file/d/ with
uc?export=view&id. - 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
Inserting the Corrected URL in SmartSuite
Once you have the modified URL:
- Copy the updated link.
- Navigate to SmartSuite’s Document Designer.
- Paste the link into the Image URL field.
- 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 SmartSuite’s ability to read external images
Final Thoughts
This simple fix allows you to seamlessly 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.
Still have questions? Drop them in the comments! Until next time, keep exploring SmartSuite!
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