Get product metafield generic_file URL within message in Flow

[ChunkySteveo]

I've been testing and trying all sorts of combinations to access a generic file (a PDF) which is a metafield "file" value for a product.

This is for a flow that will give you the PDF URL of the file on a new order when products in lineItems have them. 

I have been able to filter out the order line items, filter down into products, and only show those products that have the metafield reference key "pdf_reference". But when trying to access the ACTUAL URL - I am unable to?

I can access the URL within the theme templates, and it's present in user orders in their customer account pages - but when implementing the same idea to (eventually) send them a message/email with the PDF via Shopify Flows after an order has been placed - I cannot access the generic_file object?

The most I can get with metafield.value is e.g. "gid://shopify/GenericFile/1234567890987". I have tried looping through the object, looping through the metafield options within "Flow", and can get the values for namespace, key, value and type.

The documents for generic_file (https://shopify.dev/api/liquid/objects#generic_file) do not appear to work within Flow? Or trying various Liquid filters and "hacks" such as "file_reference" or "file_url" only result in failed execution when the Flow triggers.

Can someone help me to the a product metafield URL value with a Flow?

Thanks - Steve

[paul_n]

Interesting. Flow recently added the new metafield types and what you are seeing is that what the file type stores is not a URL but a GID reference. That means you need a way to lookup the URL based on the reference (which is what the liquid does). This is not yet possible. 

[ChunkySteveo]

Thanks for getting back and confirming @paul_n  - I had gone round in circles enough to worry that was the final answer! Do you know if there is a plan to add this into Flows? I feel Flows is no where near powerful enough yet to truly generate awesome triggers and actions.

It would be so much more transparent/streamlined and 1000% flexible if you could implement all Liquid code that you can in the theme files - i.e. being able to filter assigned variables, access file metadata (e.g. my issue), utilise objects like "all_products". Being able to manipulate accessible Shopify Objects to output complex results would be so useful!  Currently there is a gap that easily trips you up - as you can do something in the theme Liquid templates, but apply a similar method to filter/manipulate data in Flows, and it ends up not possible.

Steve

[paul_n]

Most of the things you listed are already possible in Flow liquid. The context in which Flow is using liquid is different than the storefront so things like `all_products` wouldn't just work in Flow. We do have plans to offering getting a list of products into Flow, but it's addressed through a separate action called "Get product data", which is in early access right now. 

[ChunkySteveo]

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`all_products` wouldn't just work in Flow. We do have plans to offering getting a list of products into Flow, but it's addressed through a separate action called "Get product data", which is in early access right now. 

---

Thanks for the tip - i'll see if I can utilise that action to pull out what I can for a product.

[ChunkySteveo]

Where is the action "Get product data" in the Flows @paul_n  - i've looked, but cannot find it anywhere?

[paul_n]

It in a limited release right now. I would need to enable it for your shop. If you can DM me your myshopify domain, I can get that enabled for you.

[FernandoYB]

Hi Paul_n.

I had the same problem.
I try to retrieve the URL of a file uploaded into an order.
I use this code:

{% for metafields_item in order.metafields %}
  {% for references_item in metafields_item.references %}
    Certificazione : {{references_item.GenericFile.url}}
{% endfor %}
{% endfor %}

But the result is the GID of file: 

gid://shopify/GenericFile/3682400822916

Any ideas?

Thanks, 

Fernando

[paul_n]

You cannot use that .url part. all you can get is the GID. This is because metafields use their own type system, and Flow is currently unaware of it. 

[FernandoYB]

Thanks Paul for your reply.

Can you suggets me any other solution, or workaround to obtain the result?

have a nice day,

Fernando

[paul_n]

I did a bit more exploration on this. I think you can actually output the URL. For example, I updated an image to a "File" type and was able to access the URL for the image with this bit of code:

{% for metafields_item in product.metafields %}
  {{metafields_item.reference.MediaImage.image.url}}
{% endfor %}

This gave me the CDN link to the file. 

I'm not sure what makes a type a "GenericFile" but one possibility is that you have the type wrong. Like maybe it's a single file type and not a list (which uses references vs reference). 

Can you show your metafield config screen?

[Shihas_Sidhique]

Hi Paul,

I want to attach a pdf file in my draft order. I have added a metafield to attach pdf in products. Now I want to display that file url in my draft order email template. Can you please help me out here. The current code look like this:

{% for metafields_item in product.metafields %}
{{ line.metafields_item.reference.file.custom.estimate.url }}
{% endfor %}

[paul_n]

Don't loop over the metafields like that. Follow the instructions here to access the typed metafield as like a file reference: https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/shopify-flow/reference/metafields#get-metafield-data