Have you tried to create Snapshot Links in your server scripts but they fail when users try to open them? When creating Snapshot Links with server-side scripts, the IP of the host is used to create them which leads to invalid Snapshot Links for clients running outside the local network. Often, the host IP is an internal IP number which is not accessible to the outside world. When these Snapshot Links are emailed to users, they throw an error when they try to open them. Snapshot Links created using the FileMaker Pro application don’t have this issue because the links are built using the host used to access the database file, which should be a fully-qualified domain name (FQDN) if you’re using best practices.

Snippet from a Snapshot Link file showing the internal IP numbers

Using the Data File script steps that have been available since FileMaker 18, you can easily read in the Snapshot Link file, replace the IP number for 127.0.0.1, and then send the Snapshot Link in an email from a server script.

In the sample script below, we first go to the proper layout, record and sort order that we want the user to be on when they open the Snapshot Link. We then save the Snapshot Link. Once saved, we open the file and read the contents. The contents then have a simple subsitute to replace 127.0.0.1 with the valid FQDN of the host. We then write the file back to disk and send it out as an email attachment. Problem solved!

Using FileMaker Data File script steps to fix the Snapshot Link file

NRG Software has utilized Snapshot Links to automate server-side reminders for common business needs like Reorder Emails, CRM follow-ups, etc. Please contact us if you’d like to discuss adding server-side automation to your FileMaker Pro solution.