Creating a solution > Creating file paths
 
Creating file paths
In FileMaker Pro, you can specify file paths to an external file or a FileMaker data source. Each named file or FileMaker data source can consist of one or more file paths. Use multiple file paths when you want FileMaker Pro to search a list of potential files.
For information on adding a FileMaker data source and specifying file paths, see Connecting to external data sources.
FileMaker Pro supports the following file path formats:
 
Type of path
Description
Format
Relative
The path to a target file specified from the current database’s location or from the user’s Documents folder (see notes, below)
file:directoryName/fileName
filemac:directoryName/
filewin:../fileName
Full local or remote (macOS)
The absolute path to a target file or folder, either local or on a remote volume, beginning at the top level of the file system
filemac:/volumeName/directoryName/fileName
filemac:/volumeName/directoryName/
Full local (Windows)
The absolute path to a target file or folder in Windows, beginning at the top level of the file system
filewin:/driveletter:/directoryName/fileName
filewin:/driveletter:/directoryName/
Full remote (Windows)
The absolute path to a target file or folder on a Windows volume shared using Windows file sharing
filewin://computerName/shareName/directoryName/fileName
filewin://computerName/shareName/directoryName/
FileMaker Network
The network path to a shared FileMaker Pro file
fmnet:/hostNameOrIPaddress/fileName
Note  FileMaker Pro does not support URL protocols as file paths.
About path prefixes
The path prefix determines how FileMaker Pro interprets the rest of the path. Cross-platform prefixes work on all supported platforms but only in relative paths. For platform-specific file paths, FileMaker Pro searches only the file path that corresponds to the operating system on which the FileMaker Pro application is running.
FileMaker Pro supports the following path prefixes:
 
Path prefix
Platform support
Used for
file
Cross-platform
FileMaker data sources; files inserted into container fields using the Insert File script step
filemac
filewin
Platform-specific
image
Cross-platform
Image or PDF files inserted into container fields using the Insert PDF script step or Insert Picture script step, respectively
imagemac
imagewin
Platform-specific
movie
Cross-platform
Audio/video files inserted into container fields using the Insert Audio/Video script step
moviemac
moviewin
Platform-specific
Examples of multiple file paths
Use multiple file paths when you want FileMaker Pro to search a list of potential files. File paths are searched in the order in which they appear. FileMaker Pro opens the first file it is able to successfully locate, which completes the search. Each file path must be on a separate line.
Example 1: In this example, a FileMaker Pro database must work on two different operating systems: a Windows system that accesses local Windows files, and a macOS system that accesses local macOS files. On both platforms, the database must access a local file named test.xlsx.
filewin:/C:/ExcelFiles/Hosted/test.xlsx
filemac:/MacintoshHD/ExcelFiles/Hosted/test.xlsx
Example 2: In this example for a scripted record import, a FileMaker Pro database should access a file that is hosted. However, because the host may not be available, you also reference two alternate files, one hosted by a different server, the other stored locally on your hard drive. If the first network file is unavailable, FileMaker Pro will search for the second network file. If the second network file is also unavailable, FileMaker Pro will search for the local file.
fmnet:/192.168.10.10/Databases/test.fmp12
fmnet:/192.168.100.120/Databases/test.fmp12
file:../Databases/test.fmp12
Examples of using variables in file paths
You can use variables in file paths. Variables let you specify file or folder paths dynamically in many script steps, such as the Insert File script step and Import Records script step. See Using variables.
In the examples below, assume the following variables:
$fileName = "test.xlsx"
$username = "JohnSmith"
$targetDir = "Documents/Clients"
$chosenType = "filewin"
$$source = "file:Documents/2019/demo files"
$driveLetter = "G:"
$searchList = "file:old results.txt
     file:../archived/old results.txt"
 
To
Path list entry
Resolved path list
Specify a filename only
file:testing/$fileName
file:testing/test.xlsx
Specify one or more directories in a path
file:$username/$fileName
file:JohnSmith/test.xlsx
Specify absolute paths or relative paths, with various path type prefixes
filewin:/$driveLetter/$targetDir/contacts.txt
imagemac:../$targetDir/photo.jpg
movie:$targetDir/movie.mp4
filewin:/G:/Documents/Clients/contacts.txt
imagemac:../Documents/Clients/photo.jpg
movie:Documents/Clients/movie.mp4
Specify a path type prefix dynamically or as part of a longer path
$chosenType:/$driveLetter/$targetDir
$$source/$fileName
filewin:/G:/Documents/Clients
file:Documents/2019/demo files/test.xlsx
Specify one or more complete paths
$searchList
file:old results.txt
file:../archived/old results.txt
Specify a directory (not a file)
file:$targetDir/
$$source/
file:$targetDir/$username/
file:Documents/Clients/
file:Documents/2019/demo files/
file:Documents/Clients/JohnSmith/
Notes 
To access a file located on a shared Windows volume, use the network path format. This format is only compatible with shared Windows volumes. It is not compatible with shared macOS volumes or FileMaker Network sharing.
To access a file located on a remote macOS volume, ensure that the volume is mounted first and begin the path with filemac. For example, to export records to the file named test.xlsx in the Clients folder on the Home volume on the myhost server, the path would be filemac:/Home/Clients/test.xlsx if you mounted the Home volume on myhost.
FileMaker does not recommend using an asterisk (*) as a wildcard character in network file paths as it slows FileMaker network traffic. When possible, replace an asterisk with the appropriate IP address or use variables in file paths.
Use the following characters as separators in a file path list: "/", ":", or carriage return.
You can use variables in FileMaker data source references. See Editing FileMaker data sources.
If the current database is opened locally, a relative path is to a target file specified from the current database’s location. If the current database is opened remotely, a relative path is to a target file specified from:
the host’s network address, if the path is to a FileMaker Pro file (any folders in the path are ignored)
the user’s Documents folder, if the path is to a file of any other type
Access to files varies by client:
For FileMaker Pro and FileMaker Go, access to local files is limited only by the operating system.
For server-side scripts, access is limited to the FileMaker Server Documents folder and temporary folder. See Paths in server-side scripts.
FileMaker WebDirect and Custom Web Publishing cannot access the server’s file system.
Related topics 
Paths in server-side scripts