You can create Dynamic Content to return either static or dynamic images when your templates are generated.
Static images - via upload
When working with Static Dynamic Content (see Dynamic Content Overview), Matik supports image uploads from your computer. Since this is a static setup, the same image will be displayed wherever it is tagged.
This is useful for example if you have an interface screenshot that you want to display in multiple, different presentations, and you want to be able to replace the screenshot in a single location when the interface is redesigned.
Dynamic images - via URL
If you want to return different images depending on inputs (see Inputs Overview), you need to create Dynamic Content that will output an image URL. Use this approach for example to return a profile image for the relevant account owner. The image URL needs to be publicly accessible.
If you have the needed image URLs in one of your data sources (e.g., in a CRM or a spreadsheet), follow the "If image URLs exist in your data" instructions below.
If you have images without publicly accessible URLs, you can create those URLs using a Google Drive method. Follow the "If image URLs don't exist in your data" instructions further below.
If image URLs exist in your data
If your data already has image URLs in it, all your dynamic content needs to do is return the image URL (and ensure "Image" is selected).
If image URLs don’t exist in your data
If you don’t have image URLs in your data, this section will talk about a workaround. You can store your images in Google Drive and do some hacking of the share URL to get the image URL. Note that this URL is slightly different than the Google Share Link.
To get started, upload your image file to Google Drive. Your sharing settings on the image will have to be set to “Anyone with the link” for Matik to be able to use the image.
Next, copy the share link:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uDDIq-HdWrPHZkjNi6Ixdvm5QWFghlHX/view?usp=sharing
We can’t use this directly; however, we can use this to get the file ID of the image. The file ID is the string of characters after the /d/ and before the /view in the share URL. In the URL above, the file ID is 1uDDIq-HdWrPHZkjNi6Ixdvm5QWFghlHX
Insert that ID into the following URL where the <File ID Text> is:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/d/<File ID Text>?authuser=0
In the above example, this results in:https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/d/1uDDIq-HdWrPHZkjNi6Ixdvm5QWFghlHX?authuser=0
You can now use this URL in Dynamic Content.
Supported Image Formats
Matik supports jpeg, png, and gif image types, with a size limit of 25 megapixels.
Best practices
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Fallback rule: when you are working with dynamic images returned via URL, it is a best practice to create a fallback rule to avoid errors if an image URL is missing or broken (for example, if you have a new hire whose profile image URL hasn't been added to your data source yet).
- Feel free to use this publicly accessible URL to a completely transparent image as your fallback: https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/d/1tIKtpKnbOCnU89GkFhzuhYFfHtQsjbJs?authuser=0
- To create a fall back rule, you can use spreadsheet Dynamic Content (GSheets, Excel) with an IF formula, or use AI-driven Insights Dynamic Content with fallback instructions in the prompt.
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Usage example: use images as icons in stoplight and status charts like the one below. See this tutorial to learn more!
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