How to retrieve contact image URL in CiviCRM with the API

Question

I'm trying to retrieve contact with the below api call

CRM.api3('Contact', 'get', {
  "return": ["image_URL","first_name","last_name"]
}).done(function(result) {
  // do something
});

but my image url is always empty despite having an image on my contacts profile. This is what the response looks like

"is_error": 0,
"version": 3,
"count": 5,
"values": {
    "1": {
        "contact_id": "1",
        "image_URL": "",
        "first_name": "",
        "last_name": "",
        "contact_is_deleted": "0",
        "id": "1"
    },
    "2": {
        "contact_id": "2",
        "image_URL": "",
        "first_name": "AdminJoshua",
        "last_name": "AdminAroke",
        "contact_is_deleted": "0",
        "id": "2"
    },
    "3": {
        "contact_id": "3",
        "image_URL": "",
        "first_name": "Joshua",
        "last_name": "Aroke",
        "contact_is_deleted": "0",
        "id": "3"
    },
    "4": {
        "contact_id": "4",
        "image_URL": "",
        "first_name": "Oluwajuwon",
        "last_name": "Aroke",
        "contact_is_deleted": "0",
        "id": "4"
    },
    "5": {
        "contact_id": "5",
        "image_URL": "",
        "first_name": "Ogirima",
        "last_name": "Aroke",
        "contact_is_deleted": "0",
        "id": "5"
    }
}
}

I have been trying to put this to work. I'm using drupal 7 and I have profile image set on my contact. Please, let me know what to do right

Answer 1

The image_URL returned by the API is the image that is attached to the CiviCRM contact, not to the Drupal user. You can upload an image of a contact by selecting edit and upload a file with "Browse/Upload Image" in the first section.

Answer 2

This works (tested after attaching an image to a contact on the demo site):

CRM.api3('Contact', 'get', {
  "sequential": 1,
  "return": ["image_URL","first_name","last_name","email"],
  "image_URL": {"IS NOT NULL":1}
}).done(function(result) {
  // Debug first image URL retrieved:
  console.log(result.values[0].image_URL);
})

Answer 3

Following API call returned image_url

$result = civicrm_api3('Contact', 'get', array( 'return' => "image_URL", 'id' => CONTACT_ID, ));

Response looks like this:

{ "is_error": 0, "version": 3, "count": 1, "id": xxxxxx, "values": [ { "contact_id": "xxxxxx", "image_URL": "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.com/civicrm/contact/imagefile?photo=Img1_ca0063c865d7fe65019be27dd071258c.png", "id": "xxxxxx" } ] }