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Actions23

Transform → Compose: Custom Transformation String

AI-generated

Overview

This node operation composes a custom Cloudinary transformation URL string for an asset. It allows users to specify a public ID of the asset, the type of delivery (e.g., upload, fetch, social media sources), the resource type (image or video), and a raw Cloudinary transformation string. Users can also optionally specify a delivery format and additional options such as versioning to bust CDN caches. This operation is useful for generating URLs that apply specific transformations to media assets hosted on Cloudinary, enabling optimized delivery and customized media presentation.

Use Case Examples

  1. Generating a URL to resize and crop an image with specific dimensions and quality settings.
  2. Creating a video thumbnail URL with custom transformations for embedding in a web page.
  3. Applying a custom transformation string to an image asset to convert its format and optimize delivery.

Properties

Name Meaning
Public ID The public identifier of the asset, including any folder path but excluding the file extension. This identifies the specific media asset to transform.
Type The Cloudinary delivery type, which determines the URL path segment and delivery method. Commonly 'Upload' for public assets, but can be other types like 'Fetch' or social media sources. Note that some types require signed URLs which this node does not generate.
Resource Type The type of asset the transformation targets, either image or video.
Transformation The raw Cloudinary transformation string used verbatim. Components are separated by '/' and qualifiers within a component by ','. This string defines the specific transformations to apply to the asset.
Format Optional delivery format (file extension) without the leading dot, specifying the output format of the transformed asset.
Additional Options Additional optional parameters such as versioning to bust CDN caches, specified as a collection of key-value pairs.

Output

JSON

  • url - The fully composed Cloudinary URL with the specified transformations applied.
  • publicId - The public ID of the asset used in the transformation.
  • transformationString - The raw transformation string applied to the asset.
  • format - The delivery format of the transformed asset, if specified.
  • type - The Cloudinary delivery type used for the asset.
  • resourceType - The type of asset (image or video) targeted by the transformation.

Dependencies

  • Cloudinary API credentials including cloud name, API key, and API secret are required for authentication.

Troubleshooting

  • If the transformation string is malformed or invalid, the resulting URL may not work as expected or the asset may fail to load.
  • Using delivery types that require signed URLs (e.g., Private, Authenticated, some social media sources) will fail to load since this node does not generate signed URLs.
  • Incorrect public ID or resource type may result in 404 errors or incorrect asset delivery.
  • Ensure the version parameter is correctly set to bust CDN caches when needed to see updated assets.

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