# How to use FILE with INSERT FROM URL **URL:** \ **Category:** Questions\ **Tags:** path-finder, volume\ **Created:** [February 10, 2021, 7:25pm UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/how-to-use-file-with-insert-from-url/1678 "2021-02-10T19:25:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![OliverBarrett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f19dbf/32.png) [@OliverBarrett](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/OliverBarrett)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 7:25pm UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/how-to-use-file-with-insert-from-url/1678/1 "2021-02-10T19:25:33Z")
I saw a similar posting on the FM forum and realized I have the exact same problem: I've never gotten INSERT FROM URL to work with "FILE" so I think I'm doing something wrong. In my case, I have a simple INSERT FROM URL with this for the URL portion: "file://" & Get(DesktopPath) & "myimage.jpg" I get "Connection failed." As the other poster wrote, I've also tried various combinations of "file:", but with no success. I could have missed it, but I could not find an actual INSERT FROM URL example in the FMP 19 help with "file". This example is a regular FMP sample application, but I also read that the file protocol is not supported in WebDirect. Is that true or did I misunderstand that? Thank you all for your help. Oliver ---
**Author:** ![AndyHibbs](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/the.fmsoup.org/andyhibbs/32/3089_2.png) [@AndyHibbs](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/AndyHibbs)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 7:38pm UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/how-to-use-file-with-insert-from-url/1678/2 "2021-02-10T19:38:35Z")
Hi Oliver Welcome to the soup. Does this help: [ClarisPKB](https://support.claris.com/s/article/VolumeName-specified-in-Insert-from-URL-script-with-file-protocol-is-not-validated-on-the-Mac-OS-1503693038495?language=en_US) Kind regards Andy ---
**Author:** ![OliverBarrett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f19dbf/32.png) [@OliverBarrett](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/OliverBarrett)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 7:44pm UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/how-to-use-file-with-insert-from-url/1678/3 "2021-02-10T19:44:06Z")
Thanks, but sadly, no. "file:///MacSSD/Users/oliver/theimage.jpg" as the INSERT FROM URL "URL" still says: "Connection failed". ---
**Author:** ![OliverBarrett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f19dbf/32.png) [@OliverBarrett](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/OliverBarrett)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 7:46pm UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/how-to-use-file-with-insert-from-url/1678/4 "2021-02-10T19:46:10Z")
Got it! Just removed the "Volume" part and it worked. Thank you so much! Oliver ---
**Author:** ![OliverBarrett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f19dbf/32.png) [@OliverBarrett](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/OliverBarrett)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 9:04pm UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/how-to-use-file-with-insert-from-url/1678/5 "2021-02-10T21:04:23Z")
There's a cool utility on the Mac (probably others on Windows) called PathFinder that, when you right click a file, it gives you several ways to get a path....including "URL". ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/fmsoup/original/2X/1/1b8c9176bf9e30b721716af591733c941aa6ce29.png) ---
**Author:** ![Bobino](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/the.fmsoup.org/bobino/32/194_2.png) [@Bobino](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/Bobino)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2021, 1:12am UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/how-to-use-file-with-insert-from-url/1678/6 "2021-02-11T01:12:28Z")
@OliverBarrett Can you tell us what version of MacOS you are using and if you had to also grant disk access to the FileMaker application? Thanks for sharing. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/the.fmsoup.org/ahunter3/32/1111_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2021, 3:50am UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/how-to-use-file-with-insert-from-url/1678/7 "2021-02-11T03:50:17Z")
What I often do when my first attempt at freehanding in an URL fails: I insert the file in question, as a reference, into a handy global container field. Then I invoke Data Viewer and ask to see GetAsText (that field) and compare that to what I was attempting to use as the URL ---
**Author:** ![OliverBarrett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f19dbf/32.png) [@OliverBarrett](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/OliverBarrett)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2021, 12:21pm UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/how-to-use-file-with-insert-from-url/1678/8 "2021-02-11T12:21:06Z")
Hello @Bobino Mac OS: 11.2.1 Did not need to grant disk access to FileMaker. ---
**Author:** ![OliverBarrett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f19dbf/32.png) [@OliverBarrett](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/OliverBarrett)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2021, 1:58pm UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/how-to-use-file-with-insert-from-url/1678/9 "2021-02-14T13:58:03Z")
The examples above work fine on Mac, but in Windows, I can't get the file reference URL to work. **PROBLEM Fixed.** Use PSOS on the Mac! (Seems obvious now .... LOL)