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Forum Discussion
Can't Display Link/The Link does not exist
Good Afternoon,
Thanks for your email, We contacted you/Dropbox Support because we have tried the Chatbot, the Help Center and community
multiple times with no success, this is the only way...
Same error from a Web Browser (Chrome) on a PC (Windows 10).
But interestingly, this time, using Chrome instead of the mobile app, the folder was synchronized, despite the error message.
When using the app on a phone or an iPad nothing happens after the error message is displayed, nothing get synchronized.
That said... it looks like a trend, but I'm not 100% sure.
What's sure is that the error message is wrong, the link should be valid, the folder exists 🙂
Hannah
Dropbox Community Moderator
Dropbox Community ModeratorHey Alain_Brassard, another thing your new member can try, after you've invited them, they can login to their account on dropbox.com, go to the "shared" tab and add the folders from there.
I hope this helps as well.
- Hi,
My friend was able to see the folder in the « shared » tab on DropBox web site!
Thanks!
So the bug seems mostly being an invalid « Add to DropBox » link in the invite email sent to invited users! - Walter
Thanks for keeping us in the loop Alain_Brassard
We're glad to it's sorted now and also noted your feedback about this in our system.
Let us know if you have anything else to add or ask.
- Hi again Walter,
Unfortunately the workaround you suggested does not seem to work.
As you suggested, I went in the iOS DropBox app and clicked on « shared » in the home tab.
The newly shared folder exists, but it still shows the same error message « This link does not exist ».
So back si square one 😞
Some folders just refuse to be shared with new members (while existing members can still access).
It really points to a bug in DropBox sharing invite links, on some specific folders.
One hint maybe: this seems to happens on very old folders that have been shared for more than 10 years. Not sure if it’s really related, just an unconfirmed observation.
Maybe some maintenance update/migration on DropBox servers went wrong on these folders.
Let me know if you have any workaround in mind or if your engineering team can find a fix.
Thanks! - Walter
Thanks for the additional information on this and sorry for the late response Alain_Brassard
Could you clarify if the folders you're trying to share are part of your backups in Dropbox or if they're normally stored on your account by any chance?
Hi Walter,
I don't use Dropbox backups.
These are just plain standard folders that exit since at least 20 years and successfully shared with other people.
Inviting new members just stopped working recently (pas few months) with that "link does not exist" error, while it was previously working fine. Same folder. Same account. No change on my side.
- Walter
In that case, may we reach out via email to have a further look internally at this point Alain_Brassard?
Yes, no problem
- Jay
Hi Alain_Brassard, I've sent you an email, please could you reply to it when you get a chance.
Hi Jay I am having exactly the same problem as Alain_Brassard and would like to be informed of a solution when one is found.
Regards, Tony
Hi Jay, I am running iPadOS Version 17.1.1 and I have accessed Dropbox by signing in via a web browser. The browser I use is Firefox (v 119.2 (35843)
Regards, Tony
- Jay
Could you try installing it to see if you can add the folder?
Otherwise, could you try a different browser entirely to see if this helps?
The folder already exists with about 80 members but I don't seem to be able to add anyone else now because of the problems outlined in this thread namely
Can't display link/The link does not exist
I thought the problem might have been connected to one particular person I was trying to add but it appears that it occurs for anyone I now try to add.
I have also used Windows 11 and the edge bowser but the results are the same.
Tony
Hi TonyR1947.
There may be a workaround (which worked on my side).
It requires to ask the invited people to use web browser instead of the DropBox app (I don't think it matters how the folder owner sent the invite, app or web, the key here is that the person that is invited to join uses a web browser instead of the app)
It's a bit tricky because, when receiving an invite link, the phone or tablet will automatically use the DropBox app, never a Web Browser.
But the following steps worked for me:
- Connect to its DropBox account on DropBox web site inside a Web Browser (NOT using the DropBox app)
- Click on "Shared" view (in the left bar)
- The invited folder should appear as "Not yet joined"
- Then click on that folder
This worked on my iPad (using Safari Web Browser, though I'm pretty sure any browser would work at this point).
If this also works for you, this would even more point to a bug in the DropBox application.
Hi,
Thanks for your workaround which I will try but in the meantime you might also be interested in another workaround a friend of mine came across this morning which also depends on accessing Dropbox via a web browser and not an app. It goes as follows.
Send an invite by any means. When the recipient receives the email they should NOT press the accept button but instead log into their Dropbox account via a web browser. There go to the notifications in the top right corner (looks like a bell) it will show a red mark indicating that something had come in , clicked on that - it asks if you wanted to accept the invitation to join the shared folder. Indicate that you do the screen will refresh with access shown.
Thanks for persistence in sorting out the workaround
Hi @Alain_Brassard,
Summarising our successes in overcoming the problems outlined above. To add a new member send an invite by any means. Tell the new member not to accept the invite via the email they will receive but to log onto their Dropbox account via a web browser (NOT via a Dropbox application as this will fail) and accept the invitation by either of the two methods outlined above.
- Hi Alain, What are the two methods to accept the invitation? *One of my invitees still can't access the shared folder I sent them.
- Megan
Hey MotivatedMover, do you still face your initial issue?
Did you contact our Support team about that? If so, can you share your ticket number reference with me, please?
- Ensure the person who is having problems joining a folder is not already on the list of folder members. If they are then remove them before proceeding.
- Send the invitation to join by any means (e.g. vie app or web browser)
- Tell the person, when they receive an email inviting them to join the Dropbox folder to NOT accept the invitation to join via this method as it will fail.
- Tell the person to log into their Dropbox account via a web brower where they can accept the invitation to join by either.
- Going to notifications in the top right corner (looks like a bell) it will show a red mark indicating that something had come in , clicked on that - it asks if you wanted to accept the invitation to join the shared folder. Indicate that you do the screen will refresh with access shown.
OR
- Click on "Shared" view (in the left bar)
The invited folder should appear as "Not yet joined"
Then click on that folder
I just want to chime in and say that I've been having the same problem for the past month or so. I manage a folder that is shared by several hundred people. All of the sudden, all new share invites have been getting the "Can't Display Link/The Link does not exist" error message. I'll have them try the method above, but the people I work with are often older and not very computer literate, so all these workaround steps will be a challenge for some of them.
Clearly, this is a Dropbox bug that needs fixing.
The website as well.
So far, it is just that one folder, but it's the only folder I have that regularly gets new members.
Here is one screenshot someone sent me:
