Learn how to upload and embed images to your doc's canvas and tables.
In Coda, you can add images to both the canvas of your doc and to cells of your tables. In most cases, you have the choice to either upload images directly or to use image URLs. Read on to learn about your options.
Within this article, you’ll find...
Add images to the canvas
You can add images to Coda's canvas in two ways: direct upload, or as a URL embed. Check out the corresponding sections below.
Upload image files
To directly upload an image to the canvas, simply type /image into a new line in the canvas. A dropdown menu of options will appear, and you should be able to select Image as an option. Follow the prompts in the modal to select and upload your image file.
Once uploaded, you can customize the image as desired. Use the drag bars on either side of the image to resize it. Additionally, when you click on the image, you’ll see a formatting bar appear in the upper right corner. Here you can...
crop the image
add a caption
add a comment
enter full screen
add or remove outline (click on the horizontal dots labeled More to reveal this option)
download the image (click on the horizontal dots labeled More to reveal this option)
Embed images via URL
To embed an image in the canvas, type /embed into the canvas, choose the Embed option from the list, add the image URL, and click Create. You can resize the image by clicking and dragging on the drag bars on either size of your image. Unlike with uploaded images, you don’t have the option to crop or caption embedded images.
Check out this article for more information about embedding content.
Add images to tables
Sometimes you may want to add images directly within tables. This allows you to put the image in the context of its row.
But not all Coda column types support images. So in order to start adding images, you need to change the column type to one of the following:
Image column: supports only .jpg, .png, .HEIC, .svg, and .gif files (and no other data); ideal for displaying images; learn more in the section below
Image URL column: supports only URLs to web-hosted images; less dynamic than the Image column; simply paste a URL of an image into a cell
Canvas column: a robust column type that mimics the canvas of a doc; can support images alongside text and other building blocks; learn more below
File column: allows file uploads of many types, including images, PDFs, and more; ideal for attaching files but not for displaying images
Add via image columns
Image column types contain images and only images. These files must be either .jpg, .png, .HEIC, .svg, or .gif format.
Once you have an image column, there are a few ways to add an image:
When you hover over a cell, you will see a plus (+) button appear. Click the button to browse for and select images to upload from your computer.
For faster upload simply drag any image or set of images from your desktop directly into a cell in the image column. You will see each image appear as it uploads.
Once you’ve added an image, you can click on the thumbnail to view the image in full screen. From this view, you can...
delete the image
add or edit alt text
add new (add an additional image to this table cell)
download the image
use the arrows on either side to cycle through the other images in that table cell
Customize thumbnails
You can also customize how these images appear within the column, via the column settings. Just right-click on the column header, then select Column options. Under the Settings tab, you’ll see the following:
Thumbnail size: choose how large you want the image thumbnail to appear in the table, ranging from small to extra large. Or choose Fill width if you want the thumbnail width to automatically match the column width.
Thumbnail shape: choose between circle, square, and original
Add via canvas columns
A canvas column acts like a doc canvas within a table. For each cell in a canvas column, you can add tables, text, buttons, columns, images, and more.
Once you have a canvas column in your table, you can start adding images to any of the cells in that column. To do so, just click on the cell to open it. Then - since each cell is just like a canvas in a doc - you can follow the steps in the section above (Add images to the canvas) to either upload or embed images. You can even follow the instructions there to crop and resize the image.
💡Tip: If you want to be able to see the images while viewing the table, be sure to toggle on the Display preview option in the column settings.
FAQs
How can I remove an image?
There are a few ways to delete images from your Coda doc. To delete an image from a canvas, simply highlight/select the image then hit the delete key on your keyboard.
To delete an image from a table, you have a few options:
Select the cell in the table that contains the image(s), then hit the delete button on your keyboard. This will delete all images in that cell.
Open the image from the cell into the image viewer, then click Delete in the upper left corner.
Deleting a row that contains images will delete the respective images as well.
You can always go back to version history to find any deleted images in case you need to find them again or someone else deletes them.
Is there a limit on size or number of how many images I can upload?
There are limits to the total file size per doc depending on your Coda plan. Learn more and review the limits at coda.io/pricing.
What image formats are supported by image columns?
The image column type supports .jpg, .png, .HEIC, .svg, and .gif files.
Can I attach other file types besides images?
Yes! You can upload more than just image files to Coda. Learn more here.
Can I add alt text to images?
Yes - adding alternate text to images is a great way to improve the accessibility of your doc. You can add alt text to uploaded images in the canvas and tables, but not to embedded images.
To add alt text, simply open the image in full screen. Then click on Edit alt text in the upper left corner. Add or edit the text in the text field, then click Save.
Learn more about adding alt text to images here.
How do I upload header images to pages?
Header images - also known as cover images - can be added to the top of any Coda page. Learn how to do this here.
Can I upload images in mobile?
Yes! If you have an Image column in your doc, you'll see a plus (+) button on your mobile device. When you click this button, you can take a photo or select from your photo library. If you'd like to read more about our mobile experience, check out this article.
What's the difference between an Image URL format and an Image format?
The Image URL column allows you to add URLs to web-hosted images, whereas the Image column allows you to directly upload images from your device to Coda. The Image column is more versatile, allows you to add multiple images to one cell, and has more customization options. The Image column is generally recommended for most images. But you may want to use the Image URL option for images that will be changing frequently, since the URL will always direct the most recent version.
Can I directly attach an image from Google Drive?
Unfortunately we don't support direct attachment of images from Google Drive. The easiest way to get your image in is to download it locally and then follow the instructions in this article to upload the file directly to Coda.