# How to upload images to an external collection? **URL:** \ **Category:** Get Help\ **Created:** [May 29, 2021, 3:59am UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/how-to-upload-images-to-an-external-collection/13143 "2021-05-29T03:59:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![adalapp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5fc32e/32.png) [@adalapp](https://forum.adalo.com/u/adalapp)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2021, 3:59am UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/how-to-upload-images-to-an-external-collection/13143/1 "2021-05-29T03:59:07Z")
Hi, I’ve searched the forum and some people seem to have got it but I don’t understand. I’m using an external collection, when I add a Custom Action I’m not sure what to put in the Body or Inputs so users can upload images to my external collection. Can someone please tell me what I can put there to get it working or what I can do? The image picker doesn’t seem to have a URL you can just use the file picker does so I really don’t understand what to do. ---
**Author:** ![Lukasz](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.adalo.com/lukasz/32/12207_2.png) [@Lukasz](https://forum.adalo.com/u/Lukasz)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2021, 6:11am UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/how-to-upload-images-to-an-external-collection/13143/2 "2021-05-29T06:11:10Z")
Hi - it did not work for me as well but the hack I found is a bit complex - not sure if a better solution exists 1. temporary create a picture in adalo colection 2. upload url of this pic from adalo collection to your backend (in my case I needed a fuction to make a picture out of URL - function to add picture metadata so it recognizes it as a picture) - it is the case of xano 3. delete a picture in adalo collection ---
**Author:** ![adalapp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5fc32e/32.png) [@adalapp](https://forum.adalo.com/u/adalapp)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2021, 1:37pm UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/how-to-upload-images-to-an-external-collection/13143/3 "2021-05-29T13:37:19Z")
Hi Lukasz! Thanks a lot for your reply. what I don’t understand is how to get the URL of the picture? So my user clicks submit button to upload the picture - then picture is added to Adalo collection - now how do I get the URL to automatically go to Xano? Did you mean I need a function to make a URL out of the picture automatically? Can you please be more detailed step by step how to do this exactly? I really don’t understand what to do once the picture is in Adalo’s collection. Thank you so much ---
**Author:** ![Lukasz](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.adalo.com/lukasz/32/12207_2.png) [@Lukasz](https://forum.adalo.com/u/Lukasz)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2021, 2:04pm UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/how-to-upload-images-to-an-external-collection/13143/4 "2021-05-29T14:04:22Z")
Basically the url is stored in your collection directly ---
**Author:** ![adalapp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5fc32e/32.png) [@adalapp](https://forum.adalo.com/u/adalapp)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2021, 2:11pm UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/how-to-upload-images-to-an-external-collection/13143/5 "2021-05-29T14:11:18Z")
Thank you but how do I get the URL? I can’t find it. I clicked on API documentation but also didn’t see it there ☹ ---
**Author:** ![adalapp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5fc32e/32.png) [@adalapp](https://forum.adalo.com/u/adalapp)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2021, 2:16pm UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/how-to-upload-images-to-an-external-collection/13143/6 "2021-05-29T14:16:53Z")
Sorry my bad I saw the view button just now! But I really don’t know how to make a function to add picture metadata . I’m using Xano too ---
**Author:** ![adalapp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5fc32e/32.png) [@adalapp](https://forum.adalo.com/u/adalapp)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2021, 2:19pm UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/how-to-upload-images-to-an-external-collection/13143/7 "2021-05-29T14:19:35Z")
Please can you make a video to showcase how you exactly did it? Thank you ---
**Author:** ![Victor](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.adalo.com/victor/32/2054_2.png) [@Victor](https://forum.adalo.com/u/Victor)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 8:49am UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/how-to-upload-images-to-an-external-collection/13143/8 "2021-05-30T08:49:21Z")
Hi @adalapp, This video [adalo help - uploading images as files - YouTube](https://youtu.be/dwPrLafnTCQ) could be useful for you. It doesn’t directly answer your question, but may provide some food for thought and ideas. To process the images (or files) further, you need to use some 3rd party service. It could be Xano, or Integromat, or other. Best, Victor. ---
**Author:** ![adalapp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5fc32e/32.png) [@adalapp](https://forum.adalo.com/u/adalapp)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 2:02pm UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/how-to-upload-images-to-an-external-collection/13143/9 "2021-05-30T14:02:22Z")
Thank you Victor for the video, that’s a great workaround, but Adalo really needs to fix this issue. I need to display the photos straight to my user, not require them to upload a it through the File picker and then display it as list ☹ Do you think Adalo can fix it? ---
**Author:** ![Lukasz](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.adalo.com/lukasz/32/12207_2.png) [@Lukasz](https://forum.adalo.com/u/Lukasz)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 3:04pm UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/how-to-upload-images-to-an-external-collection/13143/10 "2021-05-30T15:04:28Z")
1. Create Adalo collection 2. Add image picker 3. As a button action add: - create record with image in Adalo colection from picker - customer action to call xano api (post from adalo collection - delete the record in Adalo for scability 1. Input field in Xano needs to filter to picture metadata from file User see this directly ---
**Author:** ![adalapp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5fc32e/32.png) [@adalapp](https://forum.adalo.com/u/adalapp)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 7:51pm UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/how-to-upload-images-to-an-external-collection/13143/11 "2021-05-30T19:51:32Z")
Thank you so much for your reply! I managed to get it working. Really appreciate your help 😊 ---
**Author:** ![system](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.adalo.com/system/32/40401_2.png) [@system](https://forum.adalo.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2021, 7:51pm UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/how-to-upload-images-to-an-external-collection/13143/12 "2021-06-09T19:51:46Z")
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