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API is only available for a short time

API is only available for a short time

vuloan9407
New member | Level 2

My software is running using dropbox API to update data to web. I have been using it since 2019 but until the last few days it is no longer updated continuously, only updating a few hours. How do I extend my API usage time?

2 Replies 2

Rich
Super User II

@vuloan9407 wrote:

My software is running using dropbox API to update data to web. I have been using it since 2019 but until the last few days it is no longer updated continuously, only updating a few hours. How do I extend my API usage time?


Have you updated the app to use short-lived access/refresh tokens? Dropbox ended support for long-lived tokens. Tokens now expire after 4 hours.

 

Greg-DB
Dropbox Staff

@vuloan9407 As Rich noted, it sounds like this is because Dropbox now returns short-lived access tokens, which are only valid for several hours.

 

Dropbox is in the process of switching to only issuing short-lived access tokens (and optional refresh tokens) instead of long-lived access tokens. You can find more information on this migration here.

Apps can still get long-term access by requesting "offline" access though, in which case the app receives a "refresh token" that can be used to retrieve new short-lived access tokens as needed, without further manual user intervention. You can find more information in the OAuth Guide and authorization documentation.

For reference, while the creation of new long-lived access tokens is now deprecated, we don't currently have a plan to disable existing long-lived access tokens. (If that changes, we will of course announce that ahead of time.) That being the case, you can continue using existing long-lived access token(s) without interruption, if you have any. Also, note though that after the change you won't be able to create new long-lived access tokens.

While the change began on September 30th 2021, we released it gradually, so you may not have seen your app(s) affected until more recently. Once it applies to your app, it would apply regardless of the "Access token expiration" setting for your app, and that setting may no longer be available for your app.

Note that this is something that would need to be implemented by the programmer of the app though, so if you are not the programmer responsible for this integration, you may need to get an update from them to support this.

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    Greg-DB Dropbox Staff
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    Rich Super User II
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