Insert personalized images in your generated Google Slides

Using images in your merged Google Slides leads to better retention and engagement with your audience. To achieve our goal, we're going to use Google Sheets' built-in function called image(). 

In this article

Set up Images 

Info: Supported image formats are PNG, GIF, and JPEG. Images may be stored in Google Drive or externally (personal blogs, forums, commercial photo sites, ...). 

📌 Make sure that the image URL includes the file extension of the image (e.g., "http://www.myPhotos.com/coffeecup.png").

1. Create 2 new columns in your datasource. In our example, we labeled the headers as ImageURL and Images. Where: 

  • ImageURL

    - URL where your images are uploaded or stored (column D).

  • Images

    - This contains the image() function that will reference your image’s URL column (column E).


2. Click cell E2 then type in =IMAGE(D2). Where D2 is the cell of your image’s URL.


3. Copy the image() formula to the relevant rows. 


4. Insert the {{image}} merge tag in your Google Slides ({{Images}} - column E in our example.

Tip: The only placeholder that will work with {{image merge tags}} in Google Slides is the textbox.

Images will not be merged or displayed when the {{image merge tag}} is placed inside a table. 

Note: When using an {{image merge tag}}, make sure that only the header label of the image is written inside the textbox. Otherwise, the image won’t display at all (just its URL). 

Remember: On Adjusting the size of your image in Google Slides.

1. Right-click on the image merge tag > Format options.

2. Adjust your {{image merge tag’s}} textbox size as desired (under the Size & Rotation panel).

3. Then check Lock aspect ratio.

4. Finally, click the Text fitting panel > select Do not autofit to keep your textboxes font size small and avoid spanning all over your slides.

Use the Concatenate() function to automate your link generation. 

Info: Having a hard time getting your Google Drive image URLs?

Use Folgo to easily generate and retrieve your image IDs in Google Drive. 
Once your image IDs are generated by Folgo: 
1. Enter this formula in cell D2 (under Column D - ImageURL) =https://drive.google.com/uc?id=
2. Then add your image ID at the end 1abcWdefgFhiVYgWi5GUjklmn7kXeI-YZ (modified for demo).
Your full image URL should look similar to this:
=https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1abcWdefgFhiVYgWi5GUjklmn7kXeI-YZ
3. Repeat steps 1 & 2 to the relevant cells under Column D.
💡 Use the Concatenate() function to automate your image-link generation. 

You will immediately know that the URL you entered is correct when you see an in-cell image (astronaut) generated by Google Sheets (cell E2).

Set up QR Codes

1. Create 2 new columns in your datasource. In our example, we labeled the headers as ImageURL and Images. Where: 

  • ImageURL

    - URL where your images are uploaded or stored (column D).

  • Images - This contains the image() function that will reference your image’s URL column (column E).


2. Click cell E2 then enter: 

=https://chart.googleapis.com/chart?chs=200x200&cht=qr&chl=FirstName%20LastName%20kris@gmail.com

Where:


3. Repeat steps 1 & 2 to the relevant cells under Column E.

💡 Use the Concatenate() function to automate your image-link generation. 


4. Insert the {{image}} merge tag in your Google Slides.

Info: {{Image}} merge tags can be placed anywhere in your slide. Just remember that since QR codes are generated as images, they will have Google Slides’ default padding, wrapping, and position. Adjust these properties as needed.

Note: Using an ArrayFormula() to generate the images for all rows is currently not supported.  

In the meantime, only the manual row-by-row entry of the image() function will work.  

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