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Forum Discussion
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.
I've been creating direct download links via drop box for years but for some reason since 1st June 2023 the links have been behaving differently.
Previously the view only share link would display with the ending dl=0. I'd change it to dl=1 and that's my direct download link.
Since the 1st June the view only share link appears with the ending dl=0&rlkey=randomkey
when I remove everything from the 0 onwards (0&rlkey=randomkey) and replace it with a 1 the direct download works on Chrome (I'm logged into dropbox via chrome) but it doesn't work on any other browser.
Has there been a setting change by dropbox? Is this a user error?
Help
When I upload a file and copy the link, the link normally ends with ".mp3?dl=0"
my last two files now generates a link that ends "mp3?dl=0&rlkey=randomkey"
With all the extra characters, some of my 3rd party Apps will now not recognise this new style of generated link.
Can someone offer advice in what's going on?
- Hannah
Dropbox Staff
Hey Scott Cameron, thanks for bringing this to our attention.
How are you generating the links? From our website?
If you edit the link and remove the last part, does the link work for you?
Let me know and we'll go from there.
Hi Hannah,
no the link doesn't work when I delete the extra characters.
Our charity allows visitors to listen to a weekly audio recording through the telephone line. In order for it to work I need a code generated by Dropbox to be able to link the audio file in my Dropbox to the parent website that operates the telephone line. With the generated codes acting differently, the parent website can't access it and reports it as a fault.
Scott
- Jay
Hi Turville Wines, thanks for bringing this to our attention.
If you open the shared link with just dl=0, does it open normally on the site?
How are you copying the link, via the site, the desktop application, or the mobile app?
This will help me to assist further!
Yes, if I open with dl=0 then it opens in dropbox and asks me to sign in or request access.
If I open with dl=0&rlkey=randomkey it opens in dropbox and asks me to sign in or request access.
If I open it with dl=1 it does the same.
I'm copying the link via the site.
- Jay
If 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?
I have a website via Webflow I'm using Dropbox to host content on.
There was a weird issue where it wouldn't upload the files to the folder via the integrated Mac Desktop thing and I tried adding and then removing it via browser. This froze up my Finder menu and I had to restart my machine.
Since then, the links have had the phrase "key" in its url. That line in the url has stopped me from being able to put the content up for preview because the previews wouldn't play anymore. However, days prior, Dropbox and the other files were working fine; and when you try to manage permissions, the files don't have an option to add passwords to them.
There's a workaround where my web developer removes them on his end and re-uploads them, but I'm frustrated it seems I can no longer add content by myself.
Has anyone had this issue? I went to support and as much as it was helpful, they couldn't go into it any further citing it was Webflow's fault (even though it was Dropbox creating the links. Not Webflow)
Has anyone found a way to turn off the add passwords feature entirely (not even the slideable button) or has dealt with this recently?
- Hannah
Hey aaronpanganiban21, thanks for bringing this to our attention.
Can you please guide us through the steps you're following to create the links?
Also, can you give us an example of how a link used to look for you and how it looks now?
Just make sure it's not a real link, but a made up one, so you don't have to post your link publicly.
As for the link permissions, have you tried this through a different browser or a private browsing window, to see if that helps?
Thanks.
- So the process goes:
Create MP3 bounced from my program for making music.
Going into desktop integrated Dropbox and uploading it that way to a folder shared between me and my web developer for the site.
Then, on the browser, in that shared folder, hitting “copy link” so I can use that link to paste it into the url zone for website on Webflow.
That’s it. Nothing out of the ordinary as far as I know.
It’s worked before with two other files, and then after the Finder freeze and restart, it’s having issues.
My developer had found another forum post after he noticed the file links were different; the files that work had /s as their sub folder, but the one that didn’t had scl/fi. And the forum post had someone dealing with a similar issue
