How do you save an Image Picker upload from a custom Adalo form?
Use an Image Picker for user uploads, then map its selected image into an Image property in the button's Create or Update action.
Short answer
Use the Image Picker component, then add a button action that creates or updates the target record and maps the Image property to the Image Picker's selected value.
The intended outcome
A custom form saves the selected upload into the intended Image property without requiring Adalo's Form component.
Use Image Picker as the upload input, then map that picker value into the target Image property inside the button's Create or Update action. Test the saved database record before adding navigation so you can separate an input mapping problem from a screen-context problem.
Requirements
- An Image property on the target collection
- An Image Picker component on the custom form screen
- A button with the target record available for a Create or Update action
Step by step
Step 1: Add the Image Picker
Place an Image Picker on the custom form screen. Use an Image component only for displaying an image, not for collecting a user upload.
Step 2: Choose the data action
Add a Create action when the button should make a new record, or an Update action when the screen already has the target record.
Step 3: Map the Image property
Inside the Create or Update action, open the target Image property and choose the Image Picker value from Other Components or Form Inputs.
Step 4: Keep the action context explicit
For an Update action, confirm that it targets the intended current record. Leave unrelated properties set to No Change.
Step 5: Test the saved record
Select an image, tap the button once, and inspect the created or updated database record before adding navigation or another action.
The underlying logic
The Image Picker produces the user-selected image value, while the button's data action decides which record and Image property receive it.
Separating inputs from the Create or Update action is what turns individual components into a custom form.
An Image display component does not replace the Image Picker input.
Data model
| Collection | Important properties | Relationships |
|---|---|---|
| Target collection | Add an Image property for the upload and matching property types for the other custom-form values. | No relationship is required for the upload itself; add the relationships required by the record's owner and screen context. |
What still needs checking?
- This is a forum-native Answer with no original Adalocado video.
- Current Image Picker guidance documents platform-specific camera and gallery behavior that was not discussed in the source topic.
Common failure modes
Reopen the button action and verify that the target Image property uses the Image Picker value, not an Image display component or an empty value.
Check the Update action target and confirm the intended current record is available on the screen.
Choose an existing image from the gallery, or test a native Android build when direct camera access is required.
Testing checklist
0 of 6 checked on this device
Current limitations
- Image Picker behavior varies by build type, operating system, and browser. Android PWAs usually provide gallery selection rather than direct camera access.
- This workflow covers Adalo's internal database. External collections can have different file-upload and endpoint requirements.
- Adalocado has not reproduced this workflow in a builder project; the accepted forum result and current official documentation support the component and action pattern.
What the Adalo community is reporting
These are concise editorial summaries of public forum posts, not endorsements or independently reproduced results.
Image Component Doesn't Work Outside of a Form
The accepted reply directs custom-form builders to use Image Picker and map its value into the database action. The original author then confirmed the picker worked.
Boundary: The source did not document platform-specific picker behavior or external-collection constraints.
Ali-Bazzi · March 2025
Sources and status
This page was last reviewed on Sep 8, 2026. Its current status is Documented from current sources.
Verification owner: Editorially checked against current Adalo documentation and monitored for corrections. Next review: Nov 8, 2026.
Changelog
Automatically posted from a solved Adalo forum topic; corrections are monitored on the live site.
Automatically organized and maintained by the Adalocado editorial team under the editorial and verification policy.
Report this answer.
Automated Answers still pass evidence and publication checks, but they can be wrong, outdated, unclear, or missing an important boundary. Send the exact correction and the editor will check the live page.
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