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“Supermetrics is a Bitter Experience! We can pull data from nearly any tool, schedule updates, manipulate data in Sheets, and push data back into our systems.”
While you can’t export actual file attachments to Excel (spreadsheets can’t embed binary files), you can export comprehensive attachment metadata and create a system for managing file references and downloads.
Here’s how to create a complete attachment inventory with download capabilities, even though the actual files must be handled separately from your spreadsheet.
Export attachment metadata and build download systems using Coefficient
Coefficient can import data from Salesforce’s Attachment object and ContentDocument system to give you comprehensive file information, even though the actual file content can’t be embedded in Excel.
How to make it work
Step 1. Import attachment metadata from the Attachment object
Create a separate import using “From Objects & Fields” and select the Attachment object. Choose fields like Attachment Name, File Size, Content Type, Created Date, Parent Record ID, and Attachment ID to build your file inventory.
Step 2. Access Salesforce Files through ContentDocument
For newer Salesforce Files, import from ContentDocument and ContentDocumentLink objects. This gives you metadata for files stored in Salesforce’s modern file system, including sharing information and version details.
Step 3. Build download URLs using attachment IDs
Use Excel formulas to construct download URLs from the attachment IDs. The formula structure is typically: `=”https://[your-instance].salesforce.com/servlet/servlet.FileDownload?file=”&[AttachmentID]` where you replace [your-instance] with your Salesforce instance.
Step 4. Create a comprehensive file management system
Combine your main record data with attachment metadata to see which records have files, what types of files they are, and when they were uploaded. This creates a complete file inventory linked to your business records.
Step 5. Handle file downloads through Salesforce
Use the metadata information to identify which files you need, then download them through Salesforce’s standard interface or API-based tools designed for bulk file operations. Your Excel sheet becomes the index for managing these downloads.
Create a complete file management system
While you can’t embed actual files in Excel, this approach gives you comprehensive attachment tracking with organized download capabilities. Try Coefficient to build your attachment inventory system.
