Capture Supporting Files Alongside Your Data

Why File Downloads Belong in Extraction Workflows

Many workflows require more than structured text. A product catalog may need product images. A research pipeline may need the PDFs behind abstracts. A legal workflow may need filed documents. Capturing those files by hand after scraping defeats the purpose of automation.

RTILA X can download files directly while the dataset is being collected. The downloaded files are stored locally in project folders and can be associated with the dataset row that triggered them. This gives you both the structured record and the supporting asset in one pass.

Configuring Download Rules

You can configure which file links to download by identifying the link or button that points to the file. RTILA X captures the target URL, fetches the file locally, and saves it using a naming rule you define. The naming rule can include extracted values from the current row, so files stay easily identifiable.

For example, a product research workflow could download each product image and save it as product_<SKU>.jpg. A literature workflow could save PDFs as paper_<DOI>.pdf. This file structure makes later review and processing much easier.

Associating Files with Rows

Downloaded files can be linked back to their dataset rows through a file path field. When you export the dataset, each row carries the path or filename of the associated asset. Some export formats, such as JSON, can include more metadata, while spreadsheet formats will show the path string in a dedicated column.

This connection lets downstream tools locate the correct file when processing each record. Instead of searching through an unsorted download folder, you know exactly which file belongs to which row before you leave the RTILA X environment.

Managing Download Failures

Not every file link will be valid on every run. RTILA X records download failures in the execution log and continues with the rest of the workflow. You can also configure fallback behavior, such as leaving an empty file field or retrying the download once before moving on.

This resilient approach is important for long runs. A missing image should not stop the entire product catalog extraction. With the right download settings, the workflow captures everything it can and reports clearly what could not be downloaded.