Get file from URL action

The Get file from URL action retrieves file contents from a specified URL. It supports both text and binary files. Use file streaming for files larger than 1024 MB.

SEE AN EXAMPLE

Refer to the PlanGrid and Microsoft SharePoint use case for an example of how this action is used in a recipe.

Get file from URL action

Input fields

Field	Description
URL	Specify the URL where the file is located. The URL must be publicly accessible.
Base64 encoding	Select Yes when the downstream action expects a Base64 encoded value.
Include line breaks?	Select No to remove line breaks from the file content. Defaults to Yes if left blank.
Enable file streaming?	Select Yes when the file you plan to download is larger than 200 MB.
Encoding of the file content	Specify the encoding of the file to set it explicitly. Defaults to UTF-8 if left blank.

Output fields

Field	Description
File contents	The contents of the file.
Size	The size of the file in bytes.

Limitations and compatibility

The Get file from URL action behaves differently based on the file size and whether file streaming is enabled. Understanding these differences helps you choose the right configuration for your source system.

How the action handles files

The Get file from URL action retrieves the entire file in memory before uploading the file to Workato when streaming is disabled. The disabled streaming mode supports a maximum 200 MB file size and is a recommended option when the source URL responds with a complete file in one response.

The Get file from URL action downloads the file in chunks to reduce memory usage when streaming is enabled. The streaming enabled mode is designed for large files and supports a maximum file size of approximately 2 GB. The source system must support HTTP range requests or chunked transfer encoding. The download may fail, repeat, or return incomplete data if the source doesn't support HTTP range requests or chunked transfer encoding methods.

Compatibility with different sources

Not all file servers or APIs support streaming. For example, some endpoints always return the full file in one response and reject range or chunked requests.

The Get file from URL action fails when connecting to non-streaming sources if you enable Enable file streaming?.

Disable Enable file streaming? in the action settings if your file source doesn't support streaming. Alternatively, use the HTTP connector to make a standard GET request and handle the file in your recipe.

File size limits

The following limits apply to the Get file from URL action:

• Maximum 200 MB: Supported in non-streaming mode.
• Maximum 2 GB: Supported in streaming mode if the source supports range or chunked requests.