diff --git a/docarray/display/document_summary.py b/docarray/display/document_summary.py
index fd0598ded32..b54423a4df0 100644
--- a/docarray/display/document_summary.py
+++ b/docarray/display/document_summary.py
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ def __rich_console__(
                 or value is None
             ):
                 continue
-            elif isinstance(value, str):
+            elif isinstance(value, (str, bytes)):
                 col_2 = str(value)[:50]
                 if len(value) > 50:
                     col_2 += f' ... (length: {len(value)})'
diff --git a/docarray/helper.py b/docarray/helper.py
index 5c92c731acc..9c843a3c675 100644
--- a/docarray/helper.py
+++ b/docarray/helper.py
@@ -1,5 +1,19 @@
+import glob
+import itertools
+import os
+import re
 from types import LambdaType
-from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any, Callable, Dict, List, Optional, Type
+from typing import (
+    TYPE_CHECKING,
+    Any,
+    Callable,
+    Dict,
+    Generator,
+    List,
+    Optional,
+    Type,
+    Union,
+)
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from docarray import BaseDocument
@@ -150,3 +164,77 @@ def _is_lambda_or_partial_or_local_function(func: Callable[[Any], Any]) -> bool:
         or not hasattr(func, '__qualname__')
         or ('<locals>' in func.__qualname__)
     )
+
+
+def get_paths(
+    patterns: Union[str, List[str]],
+    recursive: bool = True,
+    size: Optional[int] = None,
+    exclude_regex: Optional[str] = None,
+) -> Generator[str, None, None]:
+    """
+    Yield file paths described by `patterns`.
+
+    EXAMPLE USAGE
+
+    .. code-block:: python
+
+        from typing import Optional
+        from docarray import BaseDocument, DocumentArray
+        from docarray.helper import get_paths
+        from docarray.typing import TextUrl, ImageUrl
+
+
+        class Banner(BaseDocument):
+            text_url: TextUrl
+            image_url: Optional[ImageUrl]
+
+
+        # you can call it in the constructor
+        da = DocumentArray[Banner](
+            [Banner(text_url=url) for url in get_paths(patterns='*.txt')]
+        )
+
+        # and call it after construction to set the urls
+        da.image_url = list(get_paths(patterns='*.jpg', exclude_regex='test'))
+
+        for doc in da:
+            assert doc.image_url.endswith('.txt')
+            assert doc.text_url.endswith('.jpg')
+
+    :param patterns: The pattern may contain simple shell-style wildcards,
+        e.g. '\*.py', '[\*.zip, \*.gz]'
+    :param recursive: If recursive is true, the pattern '**' will match any
+        files and zero or more directories and subdirectories
+    :param size: the maximum number of the files
+    :param exclude_regex: if set, then filenames that match to this pattern
+        are not included.
+    :yield: file paths
+
+    """
+
+    if isinstance(patterns, str):
+        patterns = [patterns]
+
+    regex_to_exclude = None
+    if exclude_regex:
+        try:
+            regex_to_exclude = re.compile(exclude_regex)
+        except re.error:
+            raise ValueError(f'`{exclude_regex}` is not a valid regex.')
+
+    def _iter_file_extensions(ps):
+        return itertools.chain.from_iterable(
+            glob.iglob(os.path.expanduser(p), recursive=recursive) for p in ps
+        )
+
+    num_docs = 0
+    for file_path in _iter_file_extensions(patterns):
+        if regex_to_exclude and regex_to_exclude.match(file_path):
+            continue
+
+        yield file_path
+
+        num_docs += 1
+        if size is not None and num_docs >= size:
+            break
diff --git a/tests/units/test_helper.py b/tests/units/test_helper.py
index 69649074bbd..cd3131eb0ae 100644
--- a/tests/units/test_helper.py
+++ b/tests/units/test_helper.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
     _dict_to_access_paths,
     _is_access_path_valid,
     _update_nested_dicts,
+    get_paths,
 )
 
 
@@ -109,3 +110,24 @@ def test_update_nested_dict():
 
     _update_nested_dicts(d1, d2)
     assert d1 == {'text': 'hello', 'image': {'tensor': None, 'url': 'some.png'}}
+
+
+def test_get_paths():
+    paths = list(get_paths(patterns='*.py'))
+    for path in paths:
+        assert path.endswith('.py')
+
+
+def test_get_paths_recursive():
+    paths_rec = list(get_paths(patterns='**', recursive=True))
+    paths_not_rec = list(get_paths(patterns='**', recursive=False))
+
+    assert len(paths_rec) > len(paths_not_rec)
+
+
+def test_get_paths_exclude():
+    paths = list(get_paths(patterns='*.py'))
+    paths_wo_init = list(get_paths(patterns='*.py', exclude_regex='__init__.[a-z]*'))
+
+    assert len(paths_wo_init) <= len(paths)
+    assert '__init__.py' not in paths_wo_init