How to display images from Google form ? 1) ...

I am having the same issue, where I am pulling in data from google forms including pictures, docs and a video, however obviously it pulls in as a drive link as opposed to the actual static image. I followed previous comments on having to make the link shareable however the images, docs and video all come up with broken views on AppSheet. I checked and the links contain the “view?usp=sharing”, so it should be working, I tested an image straight from google which worked. Is there no way to pull in images/files from google forms that display in AppSheet, that do not individually have to be edited to be shared links, as the incoming data in continuous. Any help would be appreciated!

Hi @Tuskan,

I do have many images previously uploaded via google forms and I want to be able to see the image being displayed in AppSheet. To do that, this is what I did:

  1. Create one additional column in the “Form Response 1” sheet.

  2. Keep the header blank and insert google sheet formula typical like this:

={"Appsheet Image"; Arrayformula(IF(M2:M>0,SUBSTITUTE(M2:M,"https://drive.google.com/open?id=","https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id="),))}

Its basically creating a header with tittle “AppSheet Image”, replace/substitute the words available in the provided links from google form response (in my case column M).

  1. Regenerate structure in AppSheet editor and make the column type as IMAGE type.

With the above steps, whenever a new image submitted via google form, after sync, we will immediately see the image in AppSheet.

Hi @Heru, thanks for the great explanation above, it correctly converted the text “open?id” to “view&id”, however the images are still coming out as broken on AppSheet, with the triangle symbol and exclamation. Prior to your solution above I went and did it manually, and it did not work.

So at least I can now automatically do it for incoming data, however my issues still lies in the image not working on AppSheet. Again I tested it with images from google, which worked, so it is still a google drive issue. (I did ensure the file format was selected on AppSheet as Image, and when I click on the link (under the new AppSheet column) from excel it correctly opens as an A4 sized image in my browser.)

I have tried JotForm to Airtable to AppSheet, but JotForm does not cater for video file collection(mp4 and amr limitations), so google form is the best so far, however the way it collects and stores the data seems to be the issue.

Tuskan:

however the images are still coming out as broken on AppSheet

Please check your setting if it is matching with below sample I’ve just made:

Please noted that based on my understanding, all image uploaded through Google form will have an automatic link in the google sheet with something like: “https://drive.google.com/open?id={Google Image ID}”

Please make sure all settings below are OFF:

If all the settings is correct like above, I am sure that it will show the image.

Please provide me with screen shot if you still have issue on this.

Tuskan:

from excel it correctly opens

I don’t understand from Excel.

Tuskan:

however the way it collects and stores the data seems to be the issue.

This could be something to consider and to adjust strategy based on AppSheet. As in Google forms, it will create a folder where the original google forms is located within Google Drive owned by the owner of the form.

My suggestion, just create a small google forms for testing the above method. After you know it is working (it should), you may adjust your current strategy.

Hi @Heru again thanks for the above! I have checked the above, the only thing that was not correct was the security options, which I adjusted but for some reason they still do not work. I think the issue is still coming down to permissions. As I opened the “AppSheet link” created by your formula that you provided on a previous post, in a private window and it said I do not have permission to view this file. I have double checked that I am logged into AppSheet with the same gmail account as the one that created the google form. The image that is visible below in the App, I used as litmus test with a link provided from a google search, compared to the other two broken images, that were collected and stored on my google drive.

Tuskan:

in a private window and it said I do not have permission to view this file

That is true as one of the google drive permission.

If you really want to make see it including in a private window, you need to share the image folder to public with level:

2X_e_efe7db74f06667a40298526cabafc5d30bb59a8c.png

Or, you can share the folder to those having access to the Appsheet apps.

However, if you upload the image from google form, without doing the above, it should just work.

Alrighty it looks like we have a winner! Thank you so much for your time and help, it is much appreciated @Heru !

@GreenFlux has a great topic about Google Forms, you might want to check it out.

[Google Forms Integrations: Best Practices](https://community.appsheet.com/t/google-forms-integrations-best-practices/25268) Tips & Tricks ?

Google Forms & AppSheet Best Practices The intent of this post is to document certain Google Forms behavior as it relates to AppSheet, and create a Best Practices Guide by compiling input here from the community. Please feel free to suggest edits and add links to other relevant posts. Before we get into Best Practices, it’s important to understand a few things about Google Forms: Forms can be linked to save responses to a NEW SHEET ONLY. This can be in a new or existing workbook.…

Hi @Heru,

I am doing similar integration of images uploaded via google forms to my AppSheet. But even after following all steps in this article I am still failing to display the pictures in AppSheet from Google Forms.

In my case I have tried an external image in my google-sheet which is read by AppSheet and successfully displayed on the app. Here is the link of this external image and appearance on the app.

The image with green circle correctly displayed by AppSheet.

But Image received in google-drive via google form is not getting displayed in by appsheet, as shown by red circles in the figure above.

Link for google drive image is as follows,

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1C4UoXhFBBygOPej-qq1udUvvGWWLMpd1

This link never works with appsheet. But opens correctly if I copy and paste on the browser. And I have an interesting found too which is as follows,

When I try to open google drive image link (which is as follows)

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1C4UoXhFBBygOPej-qq1udUvvGWWLMpd1

Then browser successfully opens it, but changes the name of the file as follows,

https://doc-04-84-docs.googleusercontent.com/docs/securesc/0k7orir6fqb6liip6r5onhsodm2h08f8/plu0ionotrvfdas2g046ku18fkqiv5lk/1628841750000/11315055356699011004/11315055356699011004/1C4UoXhFBBygOPej-qq1udUvvGWWLMpd1?e=view&authuser=0

So I tried this new changed url in my sheet, and this time appsheet was able to open the picture without issue. But I believe this cannot be done as a practical approach, because we never know what will be new changed link for each google drive image which is received by google form.

I am reading for last two days and trying to fix this issue, but no luck. Appreciate your support here.

My excel sheet columns are as follows,

Thanks in advance.

Note:

When I copy paste the link of books picture (which is not from google drive), it is now showing the picture instead of link, but the links of images from google drive are still appearing as links.

Seems something is wrong with my google drive links.

Hi all,

Finally I was able to fix the issue. What I did is as follows,

Original link of image file created by google form is as follows,
–>https ://drive.google.com/open?id=1C4UoXhFBBygOPej-qq1udUvvGWWLMpd1

And this link is changed to as follows, which is successfully read and displayed by appsheet.
–>https ://drive.google.com/uc?id=1C4UoXhFBBygOPej-qq1udUvvGWWLMpd1

Note: “Open?” is changed with “uc?”

Plus
1- Changed the google drive folders’ permission to allow anyone with the link. This is the folder where pictures of google form land by default (same name as google form).
2- Disable security options in AppSheet → Security → Options