Dropbox API Support & Feedback
Find help with the Dropbox API from other developers.
I need to create about 120 folders, put a small "readme.txt" file in each, and then share each folder, seperately, to about 120 different email addresses, ie: one folder per email address. Many users don't already have Dropbox or may not want to create an account. But also, many do.
I programatically check for new contents every couple of hours, which I do via a node api cronjob on Lambda, then copy the files out to where they need to be. Works great for those already using this system.
"file requests" would be perfect for this, except that it puts the uploader's name against the file request, which messes up the filename.
I have a standard plan (not pro).
I am familiar with the Dropbox API, and can think of several ways of achieving this, but I need the RIGHT way!
I simply do not have time do do this manually - this is a volunteer-run service, and as all the data exists in a table anyway, looping that and using the API makes sense.
I am extremely unlikely to hit any limits.
I have the permission of each user, but some are quite old and get confused by the Dropbox signup process, but find file requests OK.
In case anyone is wondering why:
I provide a service for charities supporting blind people and the upload method that many of them currently use to get their files to me (old, clunky and nothing to do with me!) is going to be down for a week, which cuts them off from their service users. So I'm helping them fill the gap.
There are a few types of sharing on Dropbox, and exactly what the best thing to do will depend on your particular use case, but I'm not sure I understand exactly what the requirements are here. Do you need to be able to share files to your users, or have them send files to you, or both?
If you just need to be able to share content to people who may not have Dropbox accounts, you'd need to use "shared links". This lets you get a shared link for any file or folder in your account, so you can send that link to anyone you want. The recipient doesn't need to have a Dropbox account to see the contents. This is a read/download-only kind of sharing though; the recipient can't make changes or use this to send files to you. On the API, the flow would look like this. For each folder that you need to send out:
If you do need them to be able to send files to you, still without them needing to have Dropbox accounts, then "file requests" would be the best option. There isn't a way to change that filename behavior though. You can use /2/file_requests/create to programmatically create file requests.
And if you need both, you could set up file requests and shared links for the same folders, that way, they could both see the contents and add more.
By the way, those are links to the documentation for the HTTPS endpoints themselves, but we recommend using one of the official SDKs if possible. Those have corresponding native methods for the HTTPS endpoints.
There are a few types of sharing on Dropbox, and exactly what the best thing to do will depend on your particular use case, but I'm not sure I understand exactly what the requirements are here. Do you need to be able to share files to your users, or have them send files to you, or both?
If you just need to be able to share content to people who may not have Dropbox accounts, you'd need to use "shared links". This lets you get a shared link for any file or folder in your account, so you can send that link to anyone you want. The recipient doesn't need to have a Dropbox account to see the contents. This is a read/download-only kind of sharing though; the recipient can't make changes or use this to send files to you. On the API, the flow would look like this. For each folder that you need to send out:
If you do need them to be able to send files to you, still without them needing to have Dropbox accounts, then "file requests" would be the best option. There isn't a way to change that filename behavior though. You can use /2/file_requests/create to programmatically create file requests.
And if you need both, you could set up file requests and shared links for the same folders, that way, they could both see the contents and add more.
By the way, those are links to the documentation for the HTTPS endpoints themselves, but we recommend using one of the official SDKs if possible. Those have corresponding native methods for the HTTPS endpoints.
Thank you!
It's people needing to share files with me - for now, I just went with a common File Requests folder, but this is interesting:
And if you need both, you could set up file requests and shared links for the same folders, that way, they could both see the contents and add more.
I hadn't realised that was possible, which is very useful. Thank you!
And sorry for late reply - looks like I didn't get the email notification.
Hi there!
If you need more help you can view your support options (expected response time for a ticket is 24 hours), or contact us on X or Facebook.
For more info on available support options for your Dropbox plan, see this article.
If you found the answer to your question in this Community thread, please 'like' the post to say thanks and to let us know it was useful!