Connect Public file link to Rig

    Paste a public share link or a direct address and Rig downloads that one file into a table. There is no login, bucket or key, which suits a file someone has shared with anyone who has the link.

    Before you start

    • The file must be shared so that anyone with the link can open it. Rig cannot sign in.
    • You need a link to one file. Folders cannot be listed from a public link, so use the Dropbox, OneDrive or Google Drive card for a whole folder.

    Step 1: Get a public link to the file

    1. In Dropbox, hover over the file, click Share, then Copy link. Check that link access is set to anyone with the link.
    2. In Google Drive or OneDrive, share the file with anyone with the link and copy the link.
    3. For any other host, copy the direct https address of the file.

    Step 2: Connect it in Rig

    Adding a source needs a workspace owner, or a role with the Manage connections permission, on a workspace where you manage your own connections. If the Connectors tab says “Data ingestion for this workspace is managed by Rig”, ask an owner or Rig support to add the source.

    1. In Rig, open Connections, choose the Connectors tab and go to Sources & actions.
    2. Search for Public file link (Dropbox / Google Drive / OneDrive / URL), open the card and click Connect.
    3. Public file link or URL: the Dropbox, Google Drive or OneDrive share link, or a direct https address to a CSV, Parquet, JSONL or PDF file.
    4. Destination table name: the table the file loads into.
    5. File format (auto-detected if blank): csv, parquet, jsonl or pdf. Leave it blank to detect the format from the file name.
    6. Click Continue. Rig checks the credentials and lists the streams it can reach, so choose the ones you want and click Connect.
    7. The source then syncs on its schedule, which is nightly unless you change it. To load data straight away, click Sync on its row; Test pulls a small sample first if you want to check the connection.

    What Rig pulls in

    Public file link lands in its own public_url schema in your warehouse:

    • One file: the file at the link, loaded into the table you named. A PDF loads as one row per page.

    Good to know

    • Rig turns each share link into a direct download address, so you can paste the link as your host shows it. Dropbox links are switched to a direct download for you.
    • The connector reads a single file. A private file or a folder needs the matching file-store connector instead.
    • If the link stops being public or the file moves, the next sync fails until you give it a working link.
    • To disconnect Public file link, click the bin icon on the source's row under Sources & actions. Only whoever connected the source or a workspace owner can do this, and data already synced stays in the warehouse.

    What people use this for

    • Bring in a shared spreadsheet export
    • Load a reference table published online
    • Read a PDF report as rows

    More ideas for using Public file link

    Was this guide helpful?