Re: Force render issues (raw=1) and shared links won't work for hosting.

Hi,

I have a client who hosts a large number of files on dropbox for users to download through our Webflow site.

Currently, we're using the approach of adding dl=1 to force a download upon a user clicking a button, as documented here.

However, recently the behaviour has changed for Dropbox folders. When our users click the button a new tab opens which directs to Dropbox and then the download starts. For our downloads which are a single PDF, the behaviour is still working as it did previously (the user taps download, the download starts automatically with no new tab)

Is there a reason for this new behaviour with Dropbox folders? Can it be subverted? Is there a workaround or is this something the Dropbox team can revert to the previous behaviour?

Thanks for your help!

Hi sub-solar-studio, thanks for messaging the Community!

Could you clarify exactly what you mean by a new tab directing you to Dropbox?

Do you get this behavior when viewing the link in an incognito window on it's own, and not via your site?

This will help me to assist further!

Hi Jay,

Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. 

So, the previous behaviour we had which uses the dl=1 approach on a URL, and what happens when you click the link to download our PDFs,  is that the user clicks the download button on our site, and then the download starts. There's no navigating to a different page, no other tabs pop up, the user stays on the same page, etc.

Now, the new behaviour that occurs for links that point to our Dropbox folders (still using the dl=1 approach) is that they will click the download button, a new, blank tab opens and is switched to (which has the Dropbox URL string inside it) and then the download starts—leaving the user with an empty open tab they need to close to return to our site. 

This did not used to be the behaviour, as we've had this in place for quite some time. It used to be that the Dropbox folder download links behaved in the same way as the file links when appended with 'dl=1'

I hope that helps clarify. Let me know if I can provide more clarity, i'm happy to upload a video to explain it if that helps.

Thanks for your help
Oli

Hey sub-solar-studio, if you open the Dropbox link directly from your browser and not through your website, does it force-download the file?

Can you also take a look at the info here and let me know if it helps?

Hey Hannah,

Thanks for getting back to me and for linking to the original documentation for this link behaviour. I did link to that same documentation in my original post, so i'm aware of it and how it works.

If I were to open the link directly in a new tab, the use case would be different. So it's less comparable.

The way we're using the url's (including the dl=1 suffix query) on the site is in anchor links:

• When the URL points to a Dropbox file, the anchor links behave as if it has the HTML attribute target="_self".
• However, when the URL points to a Dropbox folder the anchor links behave as if they have the HTML attribute target="_blank" and open a new tab to then start the download. 
• This is unexpected behaviour as usually the target=_self is the default for all browsers and doesn't need to be specified. It's also how Dropbox has been functioning for quite a while. So there seems to have been some change that has caused this.

I think I've managed to find a workaround by just adding the target=_self attribute to the URL manually. But this might be something that you want to look into or raise to the engineering team responsible for this area.

Thanks

Sorry, my bad. I think maybe some kind of change has been pushed on the back end, as now it seems like all the links are behaving as before, regardless of the 'target' attribute being set. 

Perhaps a change was pushed from the Dropbox side?

Sorry, sub-solar-studio, do you mean that now your links work as usual?

Hello, Hanna.

I have the same error. I have an anchor with this link to share https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/xxxx&dl=1. So when you click instead of doing a direct download it opens a new white tab and starts the download.
Whats happend? I need resolve asap!

Thanks

Hi terryfri3nds, does this occur when viewing the link on an incognito/private browsing window in your browser?

iframe embed stopped working on a client's website. All of her videos are embedded by iframe and were fine until this morning. Now we just get www.dropbox.com refused to connect.

The links are still valid and videos are working in dropbox, just not where embedded. Has something changed or is there a problem with dropbox?

Hello there, 

Im having a major problem withe embedding dropbox video anywhere.  MY first post so sorry for potentially noob question. 

I use dropbox to embed videos on Shopify, Readymag and other platforms for over 3 years.  

I was always using online service https://onelineplayer.com/  to generate <ifame  

Yesterday some of the videos just stopped working and are showing grey board with info "video not found or not supported) while other videos, treated in exactly same way are working correctly. Help please this issue happened on live projects and I am being chased by clients/ex clients! 

Example of dropbox video working correctly: 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/usjnn0cvqzxi60h/grassmarket.mp4?st=gvsu6qd4&dl=0

Example of video not working at all: 

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/zde0g1iziy6odzamrqttu/RC-V8.mp4?rlkey=b5wjofa7um0yu77xkhqa57yow&st=7j6uczlw&dl=0

I have also notices that the links of the videos with the problem have different structure. Not sure why (these are in the same folder on dropbox) 

I will also add I found a solution which seems to be working but for a few hours only: 

I change the ending of not working video from dl=0 to raw=1 

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/zde0g1iziy6odzamrqttu/RC-V8.mp4?rlkey=b5wjofa7um0yu77xkhqa57yow&st=7j6uczlw&raw=1

than I paste it to chrome and it becomes this:

https://uc27c9b8945c96f243beea1e4a95.dl.dropboxusercontent.com/cd/0/inline/CSN2427839uNIE7qx9JeRVigSiefSBGyR1OQW09O2xEfexfRhDyCVchARrH7s4VC7pizaRqeQ70qy_jNyffVEr9ir9gZ6WeRLCAl6FEqviDEigT72knRS9y3tl2C1BVQGqJPj5v6-VaUyVdqfzo2UpSG/file

I use this link to feed it to https://onelineplayer.com/ and this works perfectly fine BUT only for a few hours. 

help please I might be overcomplicating this, I jsut want to udersntand why some old videos work ok and some are not. 

maybe there is also an easier way of embedding videos on the website. 

Good morning, I have a standard plan an I am experiencing a strange behavior of Dropbox, apparently. More exactly all the videos I need to show on my pages do not appear. I have a website and wordpress installed, and as of this morning everything was fine.

Here's an example: https://www.evolvinnova.eu/2024/05/04/video-test/

the file seems accessible and shared to anyone who has the link:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/vglnkmtnlpvo7svmkzxl3/fallo-al36-secondo.mp4?rlkey=7a9lzrn2bszrx34efot34hioc&st=w0whscno&dl=0 

Of course I changed dl=0 in raw=1 but yet it doesn't work.

What can this be due to?

Thank you so much for any suggestion and hint, and please excuse me if the request is not proper or placed in the wrong place.

Have a nice day!

Gabriele

I will also add I was trying to use simple code whihc alway worked but with the problematic video above it does not :

<video width='100%' autoplay='true' playsinline='' loop='true' muted='true\'>
<source src='https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/zde0g1iziy6odzamrqttu/RC-V8.mp4?rlkey=b5wjofa7um0yu77xkhqa57yow&st=c13s1w5m&raw=1' type='video/mp4'>
</video>

I have posted videos on my wordpress websites. it worked fine until now. I have changed the last part of the link to raw=1 videos that are uploaded on the site work fine and also videos from google drive. it's the same problem on all my websites

Similar (maybe even identical) to this issue: https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Create-upload-and-share/Force-render-not-working-on-a-Wordpress-site/m-p/768178

As Dropbox isnt a hosting tool, it is possible they are actively blocking the rendering of the sites (they have done this previously). Do the links work if you just use the links and not on a web page?

Thanks for reply. yes, if I put the link in for exembel vcl media player it plays the video its only on my websites its not working

---

kelvinb wrote:

The links are still valid and videos are working in dropbox, just not where embedded. Has something changed or is there a problem with dropbox?

---

I suspect Dropbox is actively blocking it - Dropbox isnt and never was a hosting platform. They have done this previously and so I wouldnt be shocked if they did it again.

This topic https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Create-upload-and-share/I-have-an-xml-file-which-i-share-with-my-own-smart-TV-app-but-it/td-p/756901/ indicates that raw=1 should work (it broke and was fixed again). It's a 302 redirect which has been re-introduced.

Actually I don't see the difference between sharing a hosted file and serving a hosted file.

Hello! I've been using dropbox as a file hosting for my website for a couple months with no issues. My web is stored on Firebase, and it has React elements (I called them Songcards) that allow me to play or download those files on the go. Suddenly, it stopped working. I can't play them, but the download button still redirects me to the proper website, where I can play or download them. Only the <audio> tag and its src property aren't working as they should. I'll provide some screenshots along with a portion of the code that I tested on a different component just to simplify what I'd show to you and remove anything unnecessary.

The right numbers should provide information about song length and the play button should play the file. However, only the download button is working, and it redirects to the download web

You can try the download itself by using the link on the code block.

I'd love any kind of help, since it's something I've been using on a daily basis since a few months ago, and I'm paying for a high storage limit so I can store them all. Thank you!

import React from 'react'; import { useRef } from 'react'; export const Test = () => {    const audioRef = useRef();    const link = 'https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/bvmwih1pkzkf66bgdwnfg/Lugia-s-Song-Efecto.mp3?rlkey=lzdbe331pb58wvorcja32onx1&st=ypmco4i1&raw=1';    const handlePlay = () => {        audioRef.current.play();    };    return (        <div className='position-relative d-flex flex-column align-items-center mt-5'>            <button onClick={handlePlay}>                Play            </button>            <button onClick={() => { window.open(link, "_blank") }}>                Download            </button>            <audio                ref={audioRef}                src={link}                type="audio/mpeg"            />        </div>    ); } export default Test;

Same issue.

Hi @Jay, 

Yes, it happens in all scenarios. I tried clear cache, private mode, in another browser.

 I have found a link generator that creates links so that they can now be played. it's just a shame i  now have to spend several days changing all the links

https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/dropbox-direct-link-gener/eicoigkfdogflbbcoefagmejoopganmd 

Im wondering, (again sorry if super noob question) but I managed to video work embedded. Than I copied the link from dropbox and it stopped working (missing file error) Is this possible that every time I generate link or copy link from dropbox its somehow changing (hence video missing info) Are some link generated temporarily rather than as a main link and unchanged? 

I have found a link generator that creates links so that they can now be played. it's just a shame i now have to spend several days changing all the links

https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/dropbox-direct-link-gener/eicoigkfdogflbbcoefagmejoopganmd