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Pysio13
3 years agoHelpful | Level 6
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: 'https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/'. Do you know a way to restore the old way of generating links? I just need old way of links, because game can't read new links
Greet đ
- Thank you BenDBX for splitting off a new thread specific to the 3rd party integrations issue, and especially for doing it in a way that migrates all the relevant posts to date! To properly wrap up this thread, below is a summary.
Why the new "/scl" link format?Dropbox is moving to an updated shared link architecture where links are based on the content being shared rather than on the user doing the sharing. This new content-based link architecture is already in place for edit access links to folders and newly created links to files, and can be identified by the presence of an ârlkeyâ parameter in the URL. (They also begin with "/scl" instead of the previous architecture's "/s".) It is the rlkey parameter which grants access to the content. That is why removing that parameter results in visitors having to sign in and request access. I talk more about this transition in this forum thread.Over the next few months, weâll round out the shared link portfolio by bringing this new architecture to newly created view-only access folder links, or view folder links for short.Direct Download on new link architecture is Solved
Regarding this thread on âdirect / forcedâ download not working on new links, this should be solved since a fix was implemented 2 weeks ago. That is, all new links should now function the same as legacy links for these purposes. This can be accomplished in two ways.- modifying the dl parameter in the URL
- modifying using dl.dropbox.com or dl.dropboxusercontent.com.
đ In both cases you must retain the rlkey parameter for the URL to grant your recipients permission rights to access your file.
What is the DL parameter?
Anything following the ? in a URL are query parameters. Itâs worth reemphasizing that dl parameter in new links did not break and will continue to function identically to those in legacy links. Manually changing the dl parameter does the following:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/<token>/path.jpg?rlkey=<token>&dl=0
- Default link. This will render the content in the Dropbox file viewer.
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/<token>/path.jpg?rlkey=<token>&dl=1
- 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.
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/<token>/path.jpg?rlkey=<token>&raw=1
- 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.https://dl.dropbox.com/scl/fi/<token>/path.jpg?rlkey=<token>&dl=0- 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.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/scl/fi/<token>/path.jpg?rlkey=<token>&dl=0- Works like a ?raw=1 link, but the application or browser will not need to follow an HTTP 302 redirect to access the content.
211 Replies
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- Skyeman693 years agoHelpful | Level 6
When I upload a file and copy the link, the link normally ends with ".mp3?dl=0"
my last two files now generates a link that ends "mp3?dl=0&rlkey=randomkey"
With all the extra characters, some of my 3rd party Apps will now not recognise this new style of generated link.
Can someone offer advice in what's going on?
- Hannah3 years ago
Dropbox Community Moderator
Hey Scott Cameron, thanks for bringing this to our attention.
How are you generating the links? From our website?
If you edit the link and remove the last part, does the link work for you?
Let me know and we'll go from there.
- Ufodynasty3 years agoHelpful | Level 5
Just out of curiosity, you aren't by chance referring to pulsus when you talk about a game? I came across this thread when I ran into the exact same issue. I temporarily mitigated it by creating a new dropbox account and creating a new shared link, however, if this persists I think pulsus will have to change the way it handles song uploading. If its not pulsus, you can still create a direct download link to the file by changing the dl=0 in the sharing url to dl=1.
From other support ticket browsing, my understanding is that dropbox is trying to end support for dropboxusercontent in favor of url parameters. If this is the case I will be very sad because it will break my use case. - aaronpanganiban213 years agoHelpful | Level 7
I have a website via Webflow I'm using Dropbox to host content on.
There was a weird issue where it wouldn't upload the files to the folder via the integrated Mac Desktop thing and I tried adding and then removing it via browser. This froze up my Finder menu and I had to restart my machine.
Since then, the links have had the phrase "key" in its url. That line in the url has stopped me from being able to put the content up for preview because the previews wouldn't play anymore. However, days prior, Dropbox and the other files were working fine; and when you try to manage permissions, the files don't have an option to add passwords to them.
There's a workaround where my web developer removes them on his end and re-uploads them, but I'm frustrated it seems I can no longer add content by myself.
Has anyone had this issue? I went to support and as much as it was helpful, they couldn't go into it any further citing it was Webflow's fault (even though it was Dropbox creating the links. Not Webflow)
Has anyone found a way to turn off the add passwords feature entirely (not even the slideable button) or has dealt with this recently?
- Hannah3 years ago
Dropbox Community Moderator
Hey aaronpanganiban21, thanks for bringing this to our attention.
Can you please guide us through the steps you're following to create the links?
Also, can you give us an example of how a link used to look for you and how it looks now?
Just make sure it's not a real link, but a made up one, so you don't have to post your link publicly.
As for the link permissions, have you tried this through a different browser or a private browsing window, to see if that helps?
Thanks.
- Forebears3 years agoHelpful | Level 6Just here to say Iâm experiencing the same issue on my clientâs website. We were hosting mp3 files from Dropbox with no issues until yesterday when our uploads started generating âsclâ links.
The HTML audio player will not preview these links regardless of the parameters I add to the URL.
Does anyone know what the âsclâ directory is? I imagine itâs tied to sharing options. - aaronpanganiban213 years agoHelpful | Level 7So the process goes:
Create MP3 bounced from my program for making music.
Going into desktop integrated Dropbox and uploading it that way to a folder shared between me and my web developer for the site.
Then, on the browser, in that shared folder, hitting âcopy linkâ so I can use that link to paste it into the url zone for website on Webflow.
Thatâs it. Nothing out of the ordinary as far as I know.
Itâs worked before with two other files, and then after the Finder freeze and restart, itâs having issues.
My developer had found another forum post after he noticed the file links were different; the files that work had /s as their sub folder, but the one that didnât had scl/fi. And the forum post had someone dealing with a similar issue - bleach hawk3 years agoHelpful | Level 6
Sadly it doesn't work the same way on my website. Files cannot be loaded from /scl/fi links.
Additionally it's impossible to use 'dl.dropboxusercontent.com' with these links, even when directly accessing the file from the browser. - Stratoman3 years agoHelpful | Level 7
Hi,
I am using the links on the Geocaching.com site.
I have over 335 caches and most have photos from Dropbox as Geocaching.com does not support third party servers other than their own or Dropbox.
I cannot now create a new cache page as the new /scL/ link no longer render.
I always change dl=0 to raw=1 after copying it into the html page.
Thankfully all the old links still work find as they have already been created.I will contact Geocaching.com as this must be a serious issue for many CO's
Stratoman
- Nancy3 years ago
Dropbox Community Moderator
Hi from me as well, aaronpanganiban21!
Setting permissions for shared links is currently available to Dropbox Professional/Business users.
Can you please visit this page, and let me know whatâs the type of plan you see there?
Thanks.
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