How to Bulk Download All Attachments from Airtable

Airtable makes it easy to attach files to records -- images, PDFs, contracts, receipts, design assets, audio files. What Airtable does not make easy is getting those files back out in bulk.

If you need to download all the attachments from a table -- for a backup, a handoff to a client, an archive, or because you are migrating to another system -- you are stuck downloading them one at a time. Click the attachment, click download, repeat for every file across every record. For a table with 200 records and 3 attachments each, that is 600 individual downloads.

Airtable's CSV export does not include attachment files. It exports the attachment URLs, which are temporary signed URLs that expire. The native API can retrieve attachment metadata, but downloading the actual files requires iterating through every record and every attachment programmatically.

Filla's Attachment Downloader solves this. It connects to your Airtable table, downloads all attachments from selected fields, packages them into a single ZIP file with configurable folder organization, and gives you a download link.

Need to download all files from Airtable Filla's Attachment Downloader exports every attachment from your table as a single organized ZIP file

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When you need bulk attachment downloads

Client deliverables. You collected files through a Filla form -- design submissions, completed documents, signed contracts -- and now need to package them for delivery to a client who does not have Airtable access.

Backups and archival. Airtable does not provide a bulk file export. If you need a local backup of all files stored in your base, downloading them individually is not practical.

System migration. Moving from Airtable to another platform or consolidating data requires extracting all attached files.

Print production. Collected photos, logos, or design assets through form submissions and need to send them to a printer or production team as a single package.

Compliance and audit. Regulated industries often need to produce copies of all documents associated with a project, case, or time period. Having them scattered across individual Airtable records does not satisfy audit requirements.

Event wrap-up. After collecting photos, receipts, or documentation through event forms, teams need to consolidate everything into a shared archive.

Step-by-step: Download all Airtable attachments as a ZIP

Step 1: Identify the attachment fields

Open your Airtable table and note which attachment fields contain the files you want to download. A table might have multiple attachment fields -- "Photos," "Contracts," "Supporting Documents" -- and you can choose to include all of them or just specific ones.

Step 2: Create an Attachment Downloader tool in Filla

In your Filla workspace, open the base containing the attachments. Create a new processor tool and select Attachment Downloader. Name it something like "Project Files Export" or "Q1 Documents Backup."

Step 3: Select the source table and attachment fields

Choose the source table, then select which attachment fields to include. You can select multiple attachment fields -- the tool will download files from all of them.

Step 4: Choose a folder organization

This is where Filla's Attachment Downloader goes beyond a basic download script. You control how files are organized inside the ZIP:

Flat: All files dumped into the root of the ZIP. Simple, but filenames might collide if different records have attachments with the same name.
By record: Each record gets its own folder, named after the record's primary field value. All attachments from that record go into its folder.
By field: Files are organized into folders named after the attachment field. All "Photos" go in a Photos folder, all "Contracts" in a Contracts folder.
Record > Field (nested): Two-level nesting. Top-level folders by record, sub-folders by field name. The most organized option for tables with multiple attachment fields.

For most use cases, By record is the most intuitive organization. Each folder represents one record and contains all its files.

Step 5: Configure file naming

Choose how downloaded files are named:

Keep original: Use the filename as stored in Airtable. This is the default and preserves whatever name the file had when it was uploaded.
Use naming template: Apply a custom filename pattern using tokens. Available tokens include {original} (original filename), {record_name} (primary field value), {field_name} (attachment field name), and {index} (position within the record's attachments). You can also reference any Airtable field value using @Field Name variable syntax.

Custom naming is useful when original filenames are generic (like "image.jpg" or "document.pdf") and you need files to be identifiable without opening them.

Step 6: Filter records (optional)

You do not have to download attachments from every record:

Source view: Limit the download to records in a specific Airtable view. For example, create a view filtered to a specific project, date range, or status, and use that view to scope the download.
Skip empty records: Skip records that have no attachments in the selected fields.

Step 7: Set size limits

Configure a maximum total size in MB. If the total uncompressed size of all attachments would exceed this limit, the tool stops and reports an error rather than creating an incomplete or oversized download. This prevents accidental multi-gigabyte downloads.

Step 8: Preview and run

Filla provides an interactive preview showing which records have attachments and how many files will be downloaded. Review this to confirm the scope is what you expect.

Click Run to start the download. The tool processes records in the background, downloading each attachment, organizing them according to your folder structure, and creating the ZIP file. Real-time progress tracking shows how many files have been processed.

Step 9: Download the ZIP

When the run completes, Filla provides a download link for the generated ZIP file. Click to download it to your local machine.

Practical scenarios

Backing up form submissions with attachments

If you collect files through Filla forms -- resumes, portfolios, completed applications, signed documents -- the attachments live in your Airtable table. Running the Attachment Downloader periodically creates local backups of all collected files organized by applicant or submission.

Preparing client deliverable packages

A design review table has "Submitted Designs" and "Revision Notes" attachment fields. Use the Record > Field nested folder structure so each client submission gets its own folder with sub-folders separating the designs from the notes. The resulting ZIP can be sent directly to the client.

Migrating to another platform

When moving away from Airtable, the Attachment Downloader ensures you do not lose any files. Download everything with the By record organization to maintain the logical grouping, then import the files into the destination system.

Archiving completed projects

Create an Airtable view filtered to completed projects, use it as the source view for the Attachment Downloader, and archive the ZIP. This keeps your file archive aligned with your project structure without any manual file management.

Tips for large downloads

Use source views to scope downloads. For tables with thousands of records and many attachments, download in batches using filtered views rather than processing the entire table at once. This keeps individual ZIP files manageable and reduces processing time.

Set realistic size limits. If your table contains video files or high-resolution images, the total size can add up quickly. Set the maximum total size to prevent unexpected multi-gigabyte downloads.

Use meaningful file naming. When files have generic names like "image.jpg," switch to the naming template to include the record name or other identifying information. This makes the downloaded files useful without having to cross-reference Airtable.

Check for duplicate filenames. If using the Flat folder organization, files from different records with the same filename will conflict. Use By record or Record > Field organization to avoid this, or use custom naming templates that include {record_name} to differentiate files.

FAQ

What file types can be downloaded?

Any file stored in an Airtable attachment field can be downloaded -- images, PDFs, documents, spreadsheets, audio, video, archives, and any other file type Airtable accepts. The Attachment Downloader does not filter by file type.

How large can the ZIP file be?

The practical limit depends on the maximum total size you configure and the storage capacity of the processing server. For very large tables with extensive attachments, use source view filters to download in manageable batches.

Can I download attachments from linked records?

The Attachment Downloader processes attachment fields on the selected source table. It does not traverse linked records to download their attachments. To download attachments from a linked table, create a separate Attachment Downloader tool pointed at that table.

Do the download URLs expire?

Airtable's attachment URLs are temporary signed URLs. Filla downloads the actual file content and packages it into the ZIP, so the resulting ZIP file and its contents do not depend on Airtable's URL expiration. The download link for the ZIP itself is hosted on Filla's storage.

Can I schedule automatic downloads?

The Attachment Downloader is triggered manually from the Filla dashboard. For recurring backup needs, you would run it periodically. Scheduled/automated runs are not currently available for processor tools.

Get your files out of Airtable, organized and complete

Airtable is great at collecting and organizing files alongside structured data. Getting those files back out in bulk is the gap. Filla's Attachment Downloader bridges that gap with configurable folder organization, custom file naming, and background processing that handles tables of any size.

Try the Attachment Downloader → or explore all of Filla's Airtable processor tools.

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