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Dropbox API - retrieve permissions of an app

Dropbox API - retrieve permissions of an app

grahamsnumber
Explorer | Level 3
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Hi, all. Is there an API to retrieve the permissions of an app? I'm very new to the Dropbox API, and haven't been able to find this.

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Greg-DB
Dropbox Staff
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Thanks! That's correct, there isn't currently a way to programmatically list team-linked apps. (If you're using a Dropbox Business API with auditing access, you can look up 'app_link_team'/'app_unlink_team' events from /2/team_log/get_events[/continue], but that's not a great solution. It would be more work to implement and be less efficient.) I'll send this along as a request for a proper way to list team-linked apps and their permissions, but I can't promise if or when that might be implemented though. 

Also, it sounds like you're referring to the deprecated /2/team/linked_apps/list_team_linked_apps endpoint. That didn't actually let you list "team-linked" apps, but rather list the (user-linked) apps for members on the connected team. We replaced it because it was confusingly named.

And yes, there is a "Select" Access" permission, mentioned in this help center article. That's a different kind of app, but it will come up in the list_members_linked_apps/list_member_linked_apps lists, with "is_app_folder": false. (The API unfortunately does not offer enough granularity to distinguish between different kind of non-app folder apps.)

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Greg-DB
Dropbox Staff
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No, the Dropbox API doesn't offer a way to programmatically retrieve the permission or access type for the app, but I'll pass this along as a feature request. I can't promise if or when that might be implemented though. 

For context, can you elaborate on why you need or want to be able to do so? Thanks!

grahamsnumber
Explorer | Level 3
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Hi, Greg. We do cloud security across a number of different services, including Dropbox. We'd like to be able to determine the permissions requested by and granted to Dropbox apps by a user.

Are you aware of any way to do this, given the lack of a direct API for it, perhaps by looking at activity data, for example?

Thanks!

Dave

grahamsnumber
Explorer | Level 3
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Hi, Greg. One last question: is there a programmatic way to retrieve a list of all apps?

Thanks!

Greg-DB
Dropbox Staff
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Thanks for the additional context! 

Given that, I should clarify:

The Dropbox API (i.e., for "user-linked" apps) doesn't offer a way for an app to determine its own permission level, e.g., by making some API call using any particular access token for that app. Currently, the permission is chosen by the developer when they first register the app and does not change. Also, the API is designed such that the app generally shouldn't need to determine this at runtime. 

The Dropbox API also does not offer a way for apps to retrieve the full list of apps that are linked to the account, or what permissions they have.

The Dropbox Business API (i.e., for "team-linked" apps), however, which can only be linked to Dropbox Business teams, via a team admin's authorization, does offer the ability to list the user-linked Dropbox API apps connected to members of the team. That can be done via the /2/team/linked_apps/list_members_linked_apps endpoint, to list user-linked apps for all members, or /2/team/linked_apps/list_member_linked_apps for a specific member. The returned ApiApp.is_app_folder field can be used to determine if the app has the app folder permission.

If that doesn't suit your use case, e.g., if you want to be able to detect your app's own permission, list the connected apps and permissions from a user-linked Dropbox API app, and/or list the connected team-linked apps, let me know and I'll be happy to pass this along as a feature request.

grahamsnumber
Explorer | Level 3
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Great information, Greg - you've saved me a bunch of time!

So if I understand correctly, the is_app_folder field will tell me the permission level of a user-linked app (using the Business API), but I can't get team-linked app permissions (like Team Information, Team Auditing, etc). Also, there is another permission level, "Select Access", for user-linked apps, I think?

Given what we're trying to do, I would indeed be interested in being able to list and see the permission of team-linked apps (I see that there used to be such an endpoint but it was deprecated).

Thanks again!

Greg-DB
Dropbox Staff
Go to solution

Thanks! That's correct, there isn't currently a way to programmatically list team-linked apps. (If you're using a Dropbox Business API with auditing access, you can look up 'app_link_team'/'app_unlink_team' events from /2/team_log/get_events[/continue], but that's not a great solution. It would be more work to implement and be less efficient.) I'll send this along as a request for a proper way to list team-linked apps and their permissions, but I can't promise if or when that might be implemented though. 

Also, it sounds like you're referring to the deprecated /2/team/linked_apps/list_team_linked_apps endpoint. That didn't actually let you list "team-linked" apps, but rather list the (user-linked) apps for members on the connected team. We replaced it because it was confusingly named.

And yes, there is a "Select" Access" permission, mentioned in this help center article. That's a different kind of app, but it will come up in the list_members_linked_apps/list_member_linked_apps lists, with "is_app_folder": false. (The API unfortunately does not offer enough granularity to distinguish between different kind of non-app folder apps.)

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