Display images and documents hosted on Google Drive

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From January 2, 2024, Google began changing how files, including images, are accessed in Google Drive.

If you are relying on Google Drive download URLs (for example, drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=File_ID) your AppSheet app will not display these files, especially images and videos, to your users when these changes are fully in effect.

• What type of app is most likely to face this issue?
• What action is required?
• Tip for finding occurrences in your app definition

Note: Other drive.google.com URLs, such as drive.google.com/file, are also not supported for displaying images and documents hosted on Google Drive.

What type of app is most likely to face this issue?

Apps where app creators customize their apps by:

1. Including images using app settings.
2. Adding read-only records containing images to help structure the app (such as a Menu table).

What action is required?

You need to update immediately any occurrences of the Google Drive download URL in content that is loaded outside of AppSheet. For example, an email automation sent to an email client.

Before May 1, 2024, you need to update occurrences of the Google Drive download URL in all of the following locations:

• Data sources, for example, Google Sheets and Cloud SQL
• App definition
  • An expression used to create the URL

In your data sources, update all references to the Google Drive download URL using the solution described in File name value.

In the app (outside of your data sources), the Google Drive download URL might be used in one or more of the following locations:

• Theme & Brand settings, including:
  • App logo
  • Launch image
  • Background image
• Data configuration, including:
  • Columns with XY data types in the Background image for the XY coordinates setting, as described in Mappable types

  • Virtual columns that are computed using an expression like CONCATENATE(“drive.google.com/uc?id=”, [fileID])

• Automations, including:
  • Send an email automation and potentially the email body template used
  • Create a new file automation and potentially the template used
  • Call a script automation and potentially the Apps Script code

Tip for finding occurrences in your app definition

To find occurrences of Google Drive download URL in the app definition, do the following:

1. Open the app in the AppSheet app edtor.
2. Go to Settings  > Information.
3. At the bottom of the App documentation section, click the link to the documentation page for the app, as shown in the following figure: 
   
   
4. Search the page for the URL: drive.google.com/uc
5. Update any occurrences found directly in the app editor.