To import photos in bulk, your image links must be direct access links. This allows Rheaply to pull the file data directly into the platform. A link that is simply public (meaning it opens a webpage where the photo is visible) will not always work for product or listing imports.
This article provides the specific formatting needed for common storage and enterprise hosting tools to ensure your photos upload successfully.
This article is helpful if: You’re importing data in bulk using a spreadsheet and want to include images.
Who can do this?
Any user with permission to use the Import tool (see User roles & permissions)
Where is it done?
External photo hosting platforms (like Google Drive)
For Circulate: Import listings
For Inventory: Import products
Identify a direct access link
A direct access link leads straight to the image file instead of a preview page or folder. You can usually recognize these links because they end with a file extension like .png, .jpg, or .jpeg.
However, many public links include these extensions but still point to a "viewer" page rather than the raw image file. If your link opens a browser page with Share, Download, or Sign in buttons around the image, it is a sharing link, not a direct access link. If the platform cannot reach the raw image data, the import will fail.
Verify your links
To ensure your links work before running a large-scale import, use these two verification methods.
Test in an incognito window. Copy your link and paste it into a private or incognito browser window. If the image loads by itself on a plain background with no buttons or menus, it is a direct access link. If it asks you to sign in or shows a file previewer, it is not.
Perform a single-row test. Instead of importing your entire spreadsheet, create a test CSV with just one row. Run the import through the Import tool to confirm the photo appears correctly on the product or listing.
Generate a direct access link
The following section covers how you can generate direct access links from some of the more popular photo hosting applications, including:
Google Drive
Google Drive sharing links are designed for people to view in a browser. To make them work for a data import, you must ensure the link points to the hosted file itself.
Right-click the image in Google Drive and select Share.
Change the access to Anyone with the link.
Click Copy link.
Paste the link into your spreadsheet.
Replace "file/d/[FILE_ID]/view?usp=sharing" with "uc?export=view&id=[FILE_ID]". While some standard sharing links may work depending on your organization's settings, the uc?export=view format is the most reliable way to bypass the preview screen.
SharePoint
SharePoint links often include extra parameters that prevent the Rheaply importer from reaching the file. Use this formatting trick to bypass the preview page:
Select the file in SharePoint and click Share.
Set the link settings to Anyone with the link.
Click Copy link.
Paste the link into your spreadsheet.
Identify the ? in the URL.
Replace everything after the ? with download=1.
Verify the final URL looks like: "https://[your-domain].sharepoint.com/[path-to-file]?download=1".
Dropbox
Dropbox links default to a preview page. You must change the query parameter at the end of the URL to point directly to the data.
Right-click the file in Dropbox and select Copy Dropbox link.
Paste the link into your spreadsheet.
Locate the dl=0 at the very end of the URL.
Replace dl=0 with raw=1.
Confirm the URL now ends in ?raw=1.
Box
Box provides a Direct Link option specifically for this purpose, though it is often restricted by enterprise security settings.
Click Share on the file in Box.
Enable the Shared Link toggle.
Click Link Settings.
Copy the URL found in the Direct Link field.
Ensure the access level is set to People with the link.
Amazon S3
For enterprise users hosting images in AWS S3 buckets, the Object URL is the direct access link, provided the bucket permissions allow public read access.
Upload the image to your S3 bucket.
Select the file and navigate to the Permissions tab.
Grant Public read access to the object.
Copy the Object URL from the Properties tab.
Test the URL in an incognito window to ensure it opens the image directly without requiring an AWS login.
Azure Blob Storage
Azure users can generate direct links by adjusting the container's Access Level.
Navigate to your Storage Account in the Azure Portal.
Select the Container where your images are stored.
Click Change access level and select Blob (anonymous read access for blobs only).
Copy the URL from the specific blob's properties.
Verify the URL follows the format: https://[account-name].blob.core.windows.net/[container-name]/[image-name].jpg.
Troubleshooting photo imports
If your photos do not appear after the import is complete, try the following:
Ensure the link is a direct access link and not a sharing page.
Confirm the file extension is .jpg, .jpeg, or .png.
Verify that the link is accessible in an incognito or private browser window without logging in.
Check that your organization's firewall or permissions settings allow external access to these files.
Contact support at help@rheaply.com if you need further assistance.