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Shared Link / "scl" to "s"
Hello. My question concerns my recent issue with file sharing. Usually, my links were generated in this way: 'https://www.dropbox.com/s/'. However, lately, every file is being generated in this way: ...
Direct Download on new link architecture is Solved
What is the DL parameter?
- Default link. This will render the content in the Dropbox file viewer.
- Downloads the content of the link (if the user has access to the content based on link settings). This query parameter takes precedence even if raw=1 is also added.
- Directly renders the content in the browser (if the link has a public audience and no other restrictions). Note that this link has an HTTP 302 redirect, so the application or browser must be able to follow the redirect.
What are the dl.dropbox... modifications?
These are link transformations from the early days of Dropbox. While we don't "officially" list these anymore in our Help Center, we are continuing to support them for now.- Replacing www with dl works exactly like a ?raw=1 link: this will directly render content for public links in the browser. It requires following an HTTP 302 redirect.
- Works like a ?raw=1 link, but the application or browser will not need to follow an HTTP 302 redirect to access the content.
Jay
Dropbox Staff
Dropbox StaffIf you created a normal shared link, then there shouldn't be a login request, since the links should be visible to anyone with the URL. Is this a view-only shared link?
Are you part of a Dropbox Business team, which could've changed the permissions on shared links?
Could you clarify exactly how you created the link, and which steps you follow?
JasonSilverDBX
Dropbox Product Manager
Dropbox Product ManagerHi everyone,
I am one of the Product Managers for our sharing functionality here at Dropbox. I have read through every one of the posts in this thread and can understand your frustration. Many of you are long time Dropbox users that depend on us to keep your content secure, and critically, to also make it easy to share.
While we took quick action to deliver a fix to allow direct download from shared links (see posts here and here), it seems it did not completely solve the problem. Some users on this thread have reported success, while others have not.
We very much hear you! I do not have a solution to post here for you all tonight, but we are taking careful look at the use cases you’ve shared to provide an answer soon. I will aim to post another update here by end of this week before the holidays in the US. Please do continue to provide details or any additional failures you’re seeing as it is a huge help!
Jason Silver
Dropbox Sharing Product Manager
JasonSilverDBX wrote:...
While we took quick action to deliver a fix to allow direct download from shared links (see posts here and here), it seems it did not completely solve the problem. Some users on this thread have reported success, while others have not.
... Please do continue to provide details or any additional failures you’re seeing as it is a huge help!
...
Hi JasonSilverDBX,
Let me make some notes. A big Dropbox pain is the provided features documentation (including documentation related to shared links). I have no idea who is/are responsible for documentation, but as seem involved are too lazy. Yes, LAZY! Usually documentation describing particular feature is (or has to be; it's a good practice) available before the feature roll out. What happens now? New link constructions are on go, but documentation that describe them is... missing (at this post time). How many time is needed and how many has passed?! 🧐 That's something very confusing! What if you're using some service and its features appearance changes without notice? Would you be glad? Here is the same!
It's the same for many other things Dropbox related (not to say all). There are feature available from day zero, that are still without proper documentation (and unusable in this context). Take a look here for such an example (shared links unrelated). There are many other such examples.
I hope you can do something to improve this documentation inconsistency in general (not only links related).
- No worries. Onedrive works. Keep your DB.
- So it looks like (no shade here) a staff member marked it at solved. I didn’t, and I think I commented earlier that I’m leaving it open because it hasn’t been resolved yet.
I’m unsure why they’d do that unless it’s a way of protocol for them to keep tabs on the issue (like tallying the cases). But yeah, it’s far from fixed and if anything it might have gotten a LOT worseOk after chatting with Dropbox support, we found a solution. It may not be ideal, but this works. Go to a file that was uploaded and generated an /scl/ link. Hover over it, click the three dots to open the menu, and click Share>>>Share with Dropbox. Click the gear icon in the top right, then click Link for Viewing. Delete the previously created link and then create a new link. Now when you copy the link, it should be a link with /s/ and it will work just like it always has. I hope this helps everyone.
BenDBXCommunity Manager
