Fetch file from external URL and upload to Google Drive using Apps Script

Question

I'm not sure if this is even possible. I'm trying to fetch file that being uploaded to formfacade server via the add-on in google form. I'm using it to allow other non-gmail users to upload file without having to sign-in.

I referred to answer from Mogsdad and dheeraj raj in Can I download file from URL link generated by google apps script to use UrlFetchApp to meet this objective. Below are my codes:

Method 1 :

    function UrlFile2gdrive() {
     var sheet=SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSheet();
     var lrow=sheet.getLastRow();
     //var fileURL=sheet.getRange(lrow,2).getValue();
     var fileURL='https://formfacade.com/uploaded/1FAIpQLSfscYq_sbYcT2P3Sj3AvSD2zYKalIM0SKdPTESf1wE9Rq8qew/'
     +'97dc1ee0-f212-11ea-95c3-bdb6c5ab13b3/2124651919/A%20Sample%20PDF.pdf'
     var params = {method:"GET",headers:{"authorization":"Bearer "+ ScriptApp.getOAuthToken()}}; 
     
     var response=UrlFetchApp.fetch(fileURL,params);
      Logger.log(response.getContentText());
    var fileBlob=response.getBlob();
    
      
      var folder='0B2b-M7h6xF-Mflk3dGswano2TnJ3dGlmZG8wOUREMFg4blM5SHBuM3lqYmdPOThZSTBTSWs'
    
    
    var filename=fileURL.split("/").pop();
    //var filename=fileURL.split("%2F").pop();
    var file=decodeURIComponent(filename);
      Logger.log("filename : "+file);
      
     
     var newfile=DriveApp.getFolderById(folder).createFile(fileBlob.setName(file));    
     //var newfile=DriveApp.getFolderById(folder).createFile(response.setName(filename));
     
    }

Method 2

    //api-key : AIzaSyCcbdBCI-Kgcz3tE1N4paeF9a-vdi3Uzz8
    
    //Declare function
    function URL2gdriveWithPswd() {
      //Getting url,existing name and new name for image from the sheet in 
      //variable url, name and new_name respectively
      var sh = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSheet();
      var row = sh.getLastRow();
      Logger.log(row);
      //for (var i = 2; i <= row; i++) {
    
        /*var url = sh.getRange(i, 2).getValue();
        Logger.log(url);
        var name = sh.getRange(i, 3).getValue();
        var new_name = sh.getRange(i, 4).getValue();*/
      var url = sh.getRange(row, 2).getValue();
        Logger.log(url);
        var filenm=url.split("/").pop();
        var new_name=decodeURIComponent(filenm);
        var name = sh.getRange(row, 3).getValue();
        //var new_name = sh.getRange(row, 4).getValue();
        //Creating authentication token for downloading image, it may not be //required if image can be downloaded without login into
        var user = "[email protected]";
        var password = "1851235656";
        var headers = {
          "Accept": "application/xml",
          "Content-Type": "application/xml",
          "Authorization": "Basic " + Utilities.base64Encode(user + ":" + password)
        };
        //defining method to download file
        var options = {
          "method": "get",
          "headers": headers
        };
        //Getting folder name where to store downloaded image
        var folders = DriveApp.getFoldersByName('File Uploader (File responses)');
        while (folders.hasNext()) {
          var folder = folders.next();
          Logger.log(folder.getName());
        }
        //Getting response on hit of url using downloading method defined //earlier storing in Blob
        var response = UrlFetchApp.fetch(url, options).getBlob();
        //Creating image in folder defined with response in blob and logging same file //in log to check, if required
        var file = folder.createFile(response);
        Logger.log(file);
    
        //renaming image
        var images = folder.getFiles();
        while (images.hasNext()) {
          var image = images.next();
          
          file.setName(new_name);
          Logger.log("imagename : "+image.getName());
        }
      //}
    }

However, both methods managed to get a file into my gdrive but the content consists of the html codes only (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NYQoMmCQEoP3z6L8niq1mpvIx7xl83zu/view?usp=sharing), which I think the URL passed in google response sheet is just a "mask". I noticed that inside the file has some lines that mentioned api-key and code (next to user email address). Is it possible to achieve my objective? Are those api-key and code would be useful to get authorized to access the file and download it in gdrive?

I rechecked.The link produced and passed into my google sheet response is only the login page that redirects to another XML file. When I copied back the final URL after the original file content is displayed, the URL is as below: https://storage.googleapis.com/formfacade-public/1FAIpQLSfscYq_sbYcT2P3Sj3AvSD2zYKalIM0SKdPTESf1wE9Rq8qew%2F97dc1ee0-f212-11ea-95c3-bdb6c5ab13b3%2F2124651919%2FA%20Sample%20PDF.pdf?GoogleAccessId=firebase-adminsdk-pve0p%40formfacade.iam.gserviceaccount.com&Expires=1599671507&Signature=fBzWej0fEgF6Aw7oCHX%2FTTUfHbcep%2Bj%2B%2FhB3fYFUDeq0SFTuyJ6jTnLWQJmldD6XkVug0%2BNki7ZPNo2ESufvIfQjhVLKXgvp7UiQheJ4GYL%2BtXgFLaUyglgemmfp7KSvIvPxpMcpC2lR8em3E5YIvMRr9tcfzagvusQYHEb9mlD7k833bVoqFUVWuP%2FkP8tl%2BHYVL15kSXAjtFif4QZpu%2FFHwSik89Keo78LKTm0U8hZiAMeYDQZWF6w1pcKpy04md3xKtDPwZYCoUWOOtKkCI6JLskE5HweDvMCGnDbxW8o6SWD%2BIC%2FlaNC6%2BJ81OB10cuRqwQPEc9LnfgCZK7b1A%3D%3D

When I pasted the above link, I got to see as per screenshot below:- . So, I'm guessing they don't share direct access link to the uploaded file so that we are left with the option to buy/subscribe the paid version.

Would anyone knows if there's any better altrnative(s) I could use to achieve this objective? Like maybe a link with API-key just like what I learnt from @Tanaike in his previous answer on Convert-API to convert pdf file to PNG? Of course it has some limits for the free version but it still is a very helpful solution.

Can you provide the specification for downloading the file? For example, can you download the file using curl command? If you can do, can you show it? — Tanaike
– Tanaike, Commented Sep 8, 2020 at 22:49
I'm really sorry @Tanaike. I don't know curl. It needs to be in GAS though. The file uploaded by the user must be auto-push as inline image in email to our administrator for verification process. To widen my target scope, I wish to be able to allow non-google account users to upload as well. I found a paid solution though, but I wish to use the free solution (if possible). — dell
– dell, Commented Sep 9, 2020 at 1:37
Thank you for replying and additional information. Unfortunately, from your additional information, I couldn't understand about the specification for downloading the file. I deeply apologize for this. But I noticed that an answer has already been posted. In this case, I would like to respect the existing answer. — Tanaike
– Tanaike, Commented Sep 9, 2020 at 22:28

Aerials · Accepted Answer · 2020-09-16 08:08:56Z

2

You are not assigning content-type of the blob anywhere. But if you do the naming right it would not matter. In method 1 you are trying to set a name on the blob when you should be setting it on the file created from the Blob.

Try setting the name on the file after creating it.

Example:

function myFunction() {
  var url  ="http://www.africau.edu/images/default/sample.pdf";
  var response = UrlFetchApp.fetch(url);
  console.log(response.getResponseCode());
  var blob=response.getAs('application/pdf');
  var folder = "<SOME-FOLDER-ID>";
  var fileName=decodeURIComponent(url.split("/").pop());
  
  console.log("File named : "+fileName);
  var file=DriveApp.getFolderById(folder).createFile(blob);
  // Set the name to the created file after creating it!
  file.setName(fileName); 
}

For reference see class File.

edited Sep 16, 2020 at 8:08

answered Sep 9, 2020 at 8:27

Aerials

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6 Comments

dell Over a year ago

your code produced the same output for my file. I suspect that the URL link being auto-produced by formfacade is not the direct link to the file but I cannot control that part if I wish to use their add-on for file upload. What I need is to get the xml (maybe) based on the API-key and code that was captured in the doc after I transferred the so-called file into my gdrive. I want to check if there's anyone out there who may have the solution before I give up and say this will never work unless I upgrade as a paid member (maybe).

Aerials Over a year ago

Updated my answer. Use getAs('application/pdf') to get the blob.

dell Over a year ago

your code produced the pdf file alright. drive.google.com/file/d/1hWoH2K6zkvJdOHegQD1j5toNizCJ79mj/… but the content is the webpage that I would see first before it redirects me to the original document. Just now, I rechecked the URL after the original doc is displayed. At the browser, I just noticed that the URL has some extension link like XML (has credentials and token expiry datetime). When I copy+paste that link in the browser directly, I saw it shows as per screenshot in my edited question above.

Aerials Over a year ago

Yes, the file is not public. So indeed nothing you can do. To download it for free, or without the credentials...

dell Over a year ago

I think I am just gonna rate your answer with tick because my question title didn't mentioned it is specifically for URL from formfacade. Anyway, thanks for ur help and effort.

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