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pscs's avatar
pscs
New member | Level 2
8 years ago
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Uploading to our Dropbox using API?

Is this possible? We want users of our software to be able to upload diagnostic information (logs etc) to our Dropbox simply - eg by clicking a button in our software - so that we an use that inform...
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  • Greg-DB's avatar
    Greg-DB
    8 years ago

    The API was designed with the intention that each user would link their own Dropbox account, in order to interact with their own files. However, it is technically possible to connect to just one account. The SDKs don't offer explicit support for it and we don't recommend doing so, for various technical and security reasons. It sounds like you already have a good idea of the risks with doing so, i.e., a malicious user could extract the access token and read other files, etc. Routing this through your own server as you mentioned would be a workaround for this.

    I'll send this along as a feature request for a safe way to do this directly, but I can't promise if or when this would be implemented. 

Greg-DB's avatar
Greg-DB
Icon for Dropbox Community Moderator rankDropbox Community Moderator
8 years ago

The API was designed with the intention that each user would link their own Dropbox account, in order to interact with their own files. However, it is technically possible to connect to just one account. The SDKs don't offer explicit support for it and we don't recommend doing so, for various technical and security reasons. It sounds like you already have a good idea of the risks with doing so, i.e., a malicious user could extract the access token and read other files, etc. Routing this through your own server as you mentioned would be a workaround for this.

I'll send this along as a feature request for a safe way to do this directly, but I can't promise if or when this would be implemented. 

  • pscs's avatar
    pscs
    New member | Level 2
    8 years ago

    Thanks. That's what I suspected.

    It would be nice if there was 'anonymous upload' type functionality - even if it's just based off the 'request files' function which seems to be almost what is needed - if only the uploads could be automated using the request URL.

     

    • Greg-DB's avatar
      Greg-DB
      Icon for Dropbox Community Moderator rankDropbox Community Moderator
      8 years ago

      Thanks for the feedback!

      By the way, I should also mention the /2/files/get_temporary_upload_link functionality. That would still require you to use your own server to make the API call itself, as it requires an access token, but it would at least enable the client to then upload directly to Dropbox without sending the data through your server. (Note that it's still only in preview though.)

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