Download a file with the API

[aadi]

Hi
I'm using https://dropbox.github.io/dropbox-api-v2-explorer/#files_download for download file.

I want to provide directly a link to the end user or download start just load the code.

I'm using the dropbox API from a server side. If I use this method I will need two steps to download a file (1. from Dropbox to my WebServer; 2. From my webserver to the endUser machine). I want to avoid this 2 steps, and having a direct link or direct download is a good option for it.

Thanks.

[Greg-DB · Accepted solution]

To let the user download the file directly, you can instead use /2/files/get_temporary_link to get a link to the file, and pass the link to the client:

https://www.dropbox.com/developers/documentation/http/documentation#files-get_temporary_link

[aadi]

Hi Greg,
Thanks for reply.
What’s about expiration of this temporary link?
May i can expire this link after user click/download file? Or is there any way for direct download file (no need to click any button) just load page and file automatically start to download..

[Greg-DB]

These links expire after four hours. It's not possible to manually expire them earlier than that. 

If you control the web server and the user is using a typical web browser/client, you can probably return a redirect to the temporary link itself. Exactly how you do so would depend on your web framework though.