Solved: Anyone having issues with OneDrive image URLs?

Izabela

I’m having a problem with my AppSheet gallery (2350 images). I use OneDrive image URLs (copied via “Copy image address” while logged out) in my Google Sheets spreadsheet, but since April 7, the images stopped displaying - just black screens. The URLs now have an expiration date that changes daily, breaking them. Since yesterday I can’t even access the shared folder anymore (“Something went wrong” error). The directory on OneDrive is shared with everyone who has the link can view, and expiration date 2 years from now.

I’m in a long and frustrating email exchange with OneDrive Support, but I get zero answers—just more requests for videos and screenshots. Is anyone else facing this with OneDrive images in AppSheet? Any fixes or workarounds?

Thanks,
Izabela

PauloExpert

You're definitely not alone—this OneDrive image URL expiration issue has affected a lot of AppSheet users recently, especially since early April 2025, when Microsoft quietly updated how anonymous sharing and image links work. Here's the breakdown and what you can do about it:

What’s Happening?

Microsoft has made backend changes to anonymous sharing and "Copy image address" links on OneDrive:

URLs now include expiring tokens for security.

Even if a folder is shared “Anyone with the link,” image links expire (often within 24 hours).

The links regenerate dynamically, breaking references stored in Google Sheets or AppSheet.

This is why your 2350 images have turned black — the URLs no longer point to valid or public-accessible content.

Why It’s a Big Problem for AppSheet

AppSheet relies on permanent and publicly accessible image URLs to render gallery views. When those URLs expire:

The gallery shows blank/black tiles.

You can’t control refreshes or regeneration of links from within AppSheet.

Even setting a folder to “viewable by all” doesn’t fix the expiring token issue.

Your Options (Fixes/Workarounds)

Option 1: Move Images to Google Drive

Upload your images to a Google Drive folder.

Share that folder with “Anyone with the link can view.”

Get the static image links using Google Drive direct image link generators or by:

1. Copying the file ID from the URL.

2. Building a URL like this:

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=FILE_ID

Use those in your Google Sheets, and they’ll persist.

Best for: Large image galleries and seamless AppSheet performance.

Option 2: Upload Images Directly into AppSheet

Store images within AppSheet’s default storage (Google Drive) using the Image type column.

AppSheet will handle hosting + referencing.

You can batch upload images or use a Google Apps Script to migrate data.

Option 3: Use a Static CDN (e.g., Cloudinary or GitHub)

Upload your images to:

Cloudinary (free tier includes 25GB bandwidth/month)

A GitHub repo (raw links)

Imgur (if allowed)

Reference direct links in your spreadsheet or table.

This guarantees stable, non-expiring links, and is ideal for galleries.

Option 4: Use AppSheet’s Image Column with Google Sheet as a Source

If you:

Store the image files in a consistent folder,

And reference the image filename (e.g., image1.jpg) in your table, Then AppSheet can automatically resolve the image path via the folder structure.

You’ll need to:

Keep all images in a single shared folder.

Set the folder as your app’s image storage location.

Make sure folder permissions are correct.

Next Steps for You

Since you already have everything in Sheets, the fastest recovery path would be:

1. Transfer your OneDrive images to Google Drive.

2. Use a script to rebuild the image links (I can help you with that).

3. Update your spreadsheet column with the new URLs.

4. Enjoy a stable gallery

View solution in original post

PauloExpert

You're definitely not alone—this OneDrive image URL expiration issue has affected a lot of AppSheet users recently, especially since early April 2025, when Microsoft quietly updated how anonymous sharing and image links work. Here's the breakdown and what you can do about it:

What’s Happening?

Microsoft has made backend changes to anonymous sharing and "Copy image address" links on OneDrive:

URLs now include expiring tokens for security.

Even if a folder is shared “Anyone with the link,” image links expire (often within 24 hours).

The links regenerate dynamically, breaking references stored in Google Sheets or AppSheet.

This is why your 2350 images have turned black — the URLs no longer point to valid or public-accessible content.

Why It’s a Big Problem for AppSheet

AppSheet relies on permanent and publicly accessible image URLs to render gallery views. When those URLs expire:

The gallery shows blank/black tiles.

You can’t control refreshes or regeneration of links from within AppSheet.

Even setting a folder to “viewable by all” doesn’t fix the expiring token issue.

Your Options (Fixes/Workarounds)

Option 1: Move Images to Google Drive

Upload your images to a Google Drive folder.

Share that folder with “Anyone with the link can view.”

Get the static image links using Google Drive direct image link generators or by:

1. Copying the file ID from the URL.

2. Building a URL like this:

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=FILE_ID

Use those in your Google Sheets, and they’ll persist.

Best for: Large image galleries and seamless AppSheet performance.

Option 2: Upload Images Directly into AppSheet

Store images within AppSheet’s default storage (Google Drive) using the Image type column.

AppSheet will handle hosting + referencing.

You can batch upload images or use a Google Apps Script to migrate data.

Option 3: Use a Static CDN (e.g., Cloudinary or GitHub)

Upload your images to:

Cloudinary (free tier includes 25GB bandwidth/month)

A GitHub repo (raw links)

Imgur (if allowed)

Reference direct links in your spreadsheet or table.

This guarantees stable, non-expiring links, and is ideal for galleries.

Option 4: Use AppSheet’s Image Column with Google Sheet as a Source

If you:

Store the image files in a consistent folder,

And reference the image filename (e.g., image1.jpg) in your table, Then AppSheet can automatically resolve the image path via the folder structure.

You’ll need to:

Keep all images in a single shared folder.

Set the folder as your app’s image storage location.

Make sure folder permissions are correct.

Next Steps for You

Since you already have everything in Sheets, the fastest recovery path would be:

1. Transfer your OneDrive images to Google Drive.

2. Use a script to rebuild the image links (I can help you with that).

3. Update your spreadsheet column with the new URLs.

4. Enjoy a stable gallery

Izabela

Hi Paulo,

Thank you so much for explaining the issue - this is far from solved, but at least I understand what’s happening now! I’ve been in a daily email exchange with OneDrive Support for 2 weeks, and they just keep asking for screenshots and even a video. Why couldn’t they explain this in their first reply? I don’t understand the point of this secrecy - it’s so frustrating! I know you can’t answer that; I’m just beyond angry.

Thank you again for your help, and thanks for the suggested solutions - I really appreciate it!

Best,
Izabela