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Shared Link / "scl" to "s"
Hello. My question concerns my recent issue with file sharing. Usually, my links were generated in this way: 'https://www.dropbox.com/s/'. However, lately, every file is being generated in this way: ...
Direct Download on new link architecture is Solved
What is the DL parameter?
- Default link. This will render the content in the Dropbox file viewer.
- Downloads the content of the link (if the user has access to the content based on link settings). This query parameter takes precedence even if raw=1 is also added.
- Directly renders the content in the browser (if the link has a public audience and no other restrictions). Note that this link has an HTTP 302 redirect, so the application or browser must be able to follow the redirect.
What are the dl.dropbox... modifications?
These are link transformations from the early days of Dropbox. While we don't "officially" list these anymore in our Help Center, we are continuing to support them for now.- Replacing www with dl works exactly like a ?raw=1 link: this will directly render content for public links in the browser. It requires following an HTTP 302 redirect.
- Works like a ?raw=1 link, but the application or browser will not need to follow an HTTP 302 redirect to access the content.
Yes, if I open with dl=0 then it opens in dropbox and asks me to sign in or request access.
If I open with dl=0&rlkey=randomkey it opens in dropbox and asks me to sign in or request access.
If I open it with dl=1 it does the same.
I'm copying the link via the site.
Jay
Dropbox Community Moderator
Dropbox Community ModeratorIf you created a normal shared link, then there shouldn't be a login request, since the links should be visible to anyone with the URL. Is this a view-only shared link?
Are you part of a Dropbox Business team, which could've changed the permissions on shared links?
Could you clarify exactly how you created the link, and which steps you follow?
I've created a view only shared link.
I locate the file within FILES, click on the share icon, then switch to 'view only', then I click on 'create and copy link'.
It's the same way I've been creating links for ages but I'm not sure what could have changed to add &rlkey=randomkey or similar to the end of the link.
- Jay
Is the file in a private or a shared folder? Are you part of a Dropbox Business team?
The file is just loose within 'All Files'.
It's not a business account but a colleague did login last week and I worry may have changed some settings.
I've logged into another dropbox account to test and I don't have the same issue, which suggests that it's an issue or setting change within the account.
I am facing this issue as well while trying to download the .mp4 files from dropbox links using requests package from python also checked with wget previously both methods used to work.
Recently from (June 1) after the addition of rlkey in the url they are not working
sample link - https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/<id>/scaled.mp4?dl=0&rlkey=r9apt6q29chnhw99svhgkimclHow to resolve this issue and download the videos using requests or wget ?
JasonSilverDBXDropbox Product Manager
Hi everyone,
I am one of the Product Managers for our sharing functionality here at Dropbox. I have read through every one of the posts in this thread and can understand your frustration. Many of you are long time Dropbox users that depend on us to keep your content secure, and critically, to also make it easy to share.
While we took quick action to deliver a fix to allow direct download from shared links (see posts here and here), it seems it did not completely solve the problem. Some users on this thread have reported success, while others have not.
We very much hear you! I do not have a solution to post here for you all tonight, but we are taking careful look at the use cases youâve shared to provide an answer soon. I will aim to post another update here by end of this week before the holidays in the US. Please do continue to provide details or any additional failures youâre seeing as it is a huge help!
Jason Silver
Dropbox Sharing Product Manager
JasonSilverDBX wrote:...
While we took quick action to deliver a fix to allow direct download from shared links (see posts here and here), it seems it did not completely solve the problem. Some users on this thread have reported success, while others have not.
... Please do continue to provide details or any additional failures youâre seeing as it is a huge help!
...
Hi JasonSilverDBX,
Let me make some notes. A big Dropbox pain is the provided features documentation (including documentation related to shared links). I have no idea who is/are responsible for documentation, but as seem involved are too lazy. Yes, LAZY! Usually documentation describing particular feature is (or has to be; it's a good practice) available before the feature roll out. What happens now? New link constructions are on go, but documentation that describe them is... missing (at this post time). How many time is needed and how many has passed?! đ§ That's something very confusing! What if you're using some service and its features appearance changes without notice? Would you be glad? Here is the same!
It's the same for many other things Dropbox related (not to say all). There are feature available from day zero, that are still without proper documentation (and unusable in this context). Take a look here for such an example (shared links unrelated). There are many other such examples.
I hope you can do something to improve this documentation inconsistency in general (not only links related).
- No worries. Onedrive works. Keep your DB.
- So it looks like (no shade here) a staff member marked it at solved. I didnât, and I think I commented earlier that Iâm leaving it open because it hasnât been resolved yet.
Iâm unsure why theyâd do that unless itâs a way of protocol for them to keep tabs on the issue (like tallying the cases). But yeah, itâs far from fixed and if anything it might have gotten a LOT worseOk after chatting with Dropbox support, we found a solution. It may not be ideal, but this works. Go to a file that was uploaded and generated an /scl/ link. Hover over it, click the three dots to open the menu, and click Share>>>Share with Dropbox. Click the gear icon in the top right, then click Link for Viewing. Delete the previously created link and then create a new link. Now when you copy the link, it should be a link with /s/ and it will work just like it always has. I hope this helps everyone.
- JasonSilverDBX
Direct Download on new link architecture is Solved
What is the DL parameter?
- Default link. This will render the content in the Dropbox file viewer.
- Downloads the content of the link (if the user has access to the content based on link settings). This query parameter takes precedence even if raw=1 is also added.
- Directly renders the content in the browser (if the link has a public audience and no other restrictions). Note that this link has an HTTP 302 redirect, so the application or browser must be able to follow the redirect.
What are the dl.dropbox... modifications?
These are link transformations from the early days of Dropbox. While we don't "officially" list these anymore in our Help Center, we are continuing to support them for now.- Replacing www with dl works exactly like a ?raw=1 link: this will directly render content for public links in the browser. It requires following an HTTP 302 redirect.
- Works like a ?raw=1 link, but the application or browser will not need to follow an HTTP 302 redirect to access the content.
delete
In Virtual Reality standalone devices, where we don't have easy copy'n'paste, it was critical that downloads could happen by just using the Dropbox ID/token from the old URLs in tools that supported it (e.g. use chkqhymog6ev02d and the tools build https://dropbox.com/s/ and the dl=1 around it). Now not only the first token is longer (6 chars more in my example), but we have to type in the endlessly long rlkey through the VR keyboard with a laser. That does not make it viable anymore using Dropbox links unless an URL shortener is used.
Please change it back to the old system which was working so well. It is not clear why this was changed at all.
This really isn't a good enough alternative. The new format breaks a lot of situations, such as media embedding in an application such as Discord. There really should be another API to generate a direct-access URL. Why you think it's okay to completely upend current workflows and not care about certain use-cases is beyond me. I'm looking into alternate storage solutions to take my business elsewhere in the meantime, unless this gets resolved, and I'm sure others are too.
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