/2/files/get_metadata not returning all keys, e.g. sharing_info and parent_shared_folder_id

[agarrkoch]

Hi,

I need to use this endpoint to get the parent_shared_folder_id.

The problem is that my json data does not return this info. 

I get a response that looks like this:

{'.tag': 'file', 'name': 'testy2.png', 'path_lower': '/test/testy2.png', 'path_display': '/test/testy2.png', 'id': 'id:AYyyfCw5MFkAAAAAAABqCQ', 'client_modified': '2024-03-08T18:02:38Z', 'server_modified': '2024-03-08T18:02:39Z', 'rev': '61329ff5f6a802ad8828f', 'size': 1054078, 'is_downloadable': True, 'has_explicit_shared_members': False, 'content_hash': '7ae9e640d9ba9f51f129f57b67fdf1e5a22bd94c69f825ec5442e81080a6dca9'}

I'm running this request in python. 

import requests

# Define the endpoint URL
url = "https://api.dropboxapi.com/2/files/get_metadata"

# Replace '<get access token>' with your actual access token
access_token = 'ACCESS_TOKEN'

# Define the headers
headers = {
    "Authorization": f"Bearer {access_token}",
    "Content-Type": "application/json"
}

# Define the data payload
data = {
    "include_deleted": True,
    "include_has_explicit_shared_members": True,
    "include_media_info": True,
    "path": "/test/testy2.png"
}

# Make the POST request
response = requests.post(url, headers=headers, json=data)

# Print the response
print(response.json())

[agarrkoch]

Hi,

So I'm seeing the problem. You only get a shared_folder_id returned to you if at least one person has been shared the folder. 

I want to get the shared_folder_id so I can add members to a folder (per API specifications, I need to pass this id). The problem is that if I have no preexisting members for a folder, then I can't get the shared_folder_id. So I'm in a chicken-or-the-egg situation. 

How do I work around this??

[Greg-DB · Accepted solution]

The sharing_info field, e.g., from /2/files/get_metadata, is optional and only returned, "if this file is contained in a shared folder".

To turn a folder into a shared folder, so that you can then retrieve the shared folder ID like that and/or add members to it, you would use the /2/sharing/share_folder endpoint (or share the folder manually via the Dropbox web site).

[agarrkoch]

Thanks! I wasn't aware of the share_folder endpoint.