Questions about shared links changes.

[David B.191]

Recent changes to Dropbox, which is critical to my daily workflow, have made it unreliable.

I have five questions that I need answered:

1. What EXACTLY is the purpose of the new "rlink=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" argument on the much longer copied Dropbox links?
   Is it needed by the person to whom I send the link?
2. What EXACTLY is the purpose of the (not new) "dl=0" argument?
   Is it needed by the person to whom I send the link?
   Does it prevent that person from downloading the file?
3. Why do I sometimes get "so-and-so has requested permission to view the file" messages from Dropbox?
   (I *never* want to throw unnecessary obstacles in front of the person to whom I send a link!)
4. Is there a simple way to test a copied Dropbox link on the computer from which I've created it?
   (No matter which browser I use, the entire computer account is signed in to Dropbox, so I'm always viewing the file as its owner.)
5. Why does my clicking on a "download" link while logged in to the Dropbox web site NOT download the file?

Please help ASAP. THANK YOU!

[Megan]

Hi @David B.191, let's jump right into this! 

Keep in mind that my message might be a little lengthy, in order to cover all of your questions. Firstly, you mentioned an argument of a much longer copied Dropbox link. Could you let me know more about this? 

Where did you see this? Do you use these steps in order to share the link with your recipients? 

Next up, you can see more about the DL parameter right here. If you have any more questions about this, I'm here. 

As for your third point, would you be able to share a screenshot of the screen they keep receiving on their end when you send them the link? Just make sure none of their personal info is shown there, such as passwords or usernames. 

Also, did you create the link using your desktop app, or website? 

You can always use an incognito tab on your browser -in which you won't be signed into your Dropbox account- and paste the link there, in order to preview it the way someone would. 

Lastly, in regards to your download issue, does this happen on a specific browser, or multiple ones? Do you request to download the file in the link locally, or add it to your Dropbox account? 

Keep me posted! 

[David B.191]

> ...you mentioned an argument of a much longer copied Dropbox link. Could you let me know more about this? 

> 

Many of the links copied from Dropbox include a new argument, just before the "dl=0" argument, consisting of "rlkey=" and a long encrypted-looking string of characters. It greatly increases the length of the shareable link. I'm trying to understand its purpose and whether it's needed by the person to whom I send the shareable link.

> Where did you see this? Do you use these steps in order to share the link with your recipients? 

> 

Not quite. In Finder I right-click a file and choose the Copy Dropbox link command. If I'm logged in on dropbox.com, I click the Share "button" next to the ellipsis for a file to be shared, and click the Copy link command. Note that some files that have been in Dropbox longer do not include that "rlkey=" argument in the shareable URL.

> ...you can see more about the DL parameter right here.

> 

Not really. My question includes whether the "dl=" argument is needed in the link I send to someone. In general, I do not want the recipient to be able to edit the file, only to view it and (if they click a download option) to download a copy. I also see that the article mentions the "rlkey=" argument, but it doesn't describe what it does or whether I must include it in a shared link.

> ...would you be able to share a screenshot of the screen they keep receiving on their end when you send them the link?

> 

I cannot. Whatever they might be seeing is on their computer or other viewing device. I'm not able to see it, and these are not friends, family members, or co-workers, so my relationship with them is not such that I can ask them to take and send a screen shot. More to the point, my question is why I receive a message, "so-and-so has requested access" or something very close to that wording, on rare occasions. It has happened at least twice and only within the last couple of months.

> ...did you create the link using your desktop app, or website?

> 

I do it both ways, depending on circumstances, and have no way of determining which I used in these rare instances. It cannot happen.

> You can always use an incognito tab on your browser -in which you won't be signed into your Dropbox account- and paste the link there, in order to preview it the way someone would. 

> 

I will give that a try.

> ...in regards to your download issue, does this happen on a specific browser, or multiple ones?

> 

Presumably in the default browser on my computer, so Safari.

> Do you request to download the file in the link locally, or add it to your Dropbox account? 

> 

I'm talking about being logged on at dropbox.com and clicking the Download link for a file, either as I'm viewing the file or as I'm looking at all the files in a folder listing.

[Rich · Accepted solution]

---

@David B.191 wrote:

I also see that the article mentions the "rlkey=" argument, but it doesn't describe what it does or whether I must include it in a shared link.

---

Yes, the rlkey parameter is required. Removing it will require visitors to sign in and request access to the file you're attempting to share with them.

• https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Latest-news/Updates-Coming-to-the-Folder-Link-Sharing-Experience/td-...

[David B.191]

---

@Rich wrote:

---

Yes, the rlkey parameter is required. Removing it will require visitors to sign in and request access to the file you're attempting to share with them.

• https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Latest-news/Updates-Coming-to-the-Folder-Link-Sharing-Experience/td-...

---

Thank you, @Rich. It makes the shared URL so long that I'm going to have to start using a shortener (such as tinyurl) on future shared links, as many people's e-mail clients break links that wrap to a second line.

I'm not at all as thrilled with Dropbox as I was when I started using it, over a decade ago.