Making Links to files pretty in emails

Ask the Community Get Answers
1

So I have an email that goes out from the system which includes a link to a report, that is a file. In this case a JPEG. When I create the email text and then add the field to the file what happens is that the recipient gets and email where the filename is shown as the link text.

Is there anyway to make this text pretty. I have tried to set a link on a piece of text that opens an href where I link the Report field, but when it renders in the mail client it does not format correctly and I get something like the attached.

05.05.2025_22.11.37_REC

2

Hi @GSH, you can do this by highlighting your text (e.g. click here), clicking Insert link, and then adding your link field name into the URL input.

image
image396Ă—146 5.96 KB

image
image463Ă—272 6.81 KB

Hope that helps!

1 Like
3

Yes, that is what I thought. However, if you are linking to a FILE as your fieldtype, this will not work.

4

To make links to files look professional and appealing in emails, use clear, descriptive text instead of displaying the full URL. For example, write “Download the 2025 Annual Report (PDF)” rather than pasting a raw link. If your email client supports HTML, embed the link within anchor tags to create a clickable phrase. You can also mention the file type and size to help recipients know what to expect, such as “User Guide (PDF, 2MB).” For visually enhanced emails, consider using styled buttons with appropriate colors and padding to draw attention to important downloads. Avoid clutter and overly long file names, and always ensure your links are easy to understand and access.

5

@GSH sorry I misinterpreted that as a Link field and not a File field.
It does not look possible to change the text of the file name within the email editor sorry.

The workaround method is a bit convoluted, but here it is:

  1. Insert a new Short Text field name File ID, with a conditional rule to set to the field value of your File field.

    image
    image464Ă—738 24.8 KB

  2. Your File ID value should look something like this, with the value of the File ID.

    image
    image258Ă—134 3.43 KB

  3. Get your Application ID from the Settings > API & Code page.

  4. In your email editor, highlight the text you want as your link, and Insert a link

  5. Add the below string in the URL input, replacing [Your application ID] with your application ID.

https://api.knack.com/v1/applications/[Your application ID]/download/asset/{FILE ID}/original

image
image467Ă—270 9.33 KB

  1. Your email output should look something like this:
    image

Let me know if that works for you!

2 Likes
6

Hi @StephenChapman - sorry I didn’t explain it clear enough to begin with. That worked a treat, I’d have never arrived at that on my own, now looking much better.

Thanks again.