Pre-Built Tooling
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Authentication | Bearer Token (OAuth 2.0) |
| Two-Way Sync | Yes |
| Events Supported | Yes (Webhooks) |
| Realtime | Yes |
| Supports Rate Limiting | Yes |
| Authentication Scopes Supported | account_info.read, files.metadata.write, files.metadata.read, files.content.write, files.content.read, sharing.write, sharing.read, file_requests.read, file_requests.write |
Objects Supported
Alloy Automation supports syncing the following objects from Dropbox:- Files
- Folders
- Shared Links
- Shared Folders
- File Requests
- Paper Documents
- Team Members (Dropbox Business)
- Team Folders (Dropbox Business)
Set Up Guide
Trial Access
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Offers free trial? | Yes. Dropbox offers a free Basic plan with 2GB of storage. Sign up at https://www.dropbox.com to get started. Dropbox Business offers a 30-day free trial. |
| Requires requires paid sandbox | No paid sandbox required. You can use the free Basic plan for testing. |
| Requires partnership to obtain authentication? | No. OAuth credentials can be obtained directly from the Dropbox App Console. |
Authentication (OAuth 2.0)
For customers who want to completely whitelabel their OAuth experience, you can provide your own developer keys instead of using Alloy Automation’s.- Go to the Dropbox App Console at https://www.dropbox.com/developers/apps.
- Click Create app and configure your application:
- Choose the API you want to use (Dropbox API or Dropbox Business API)
- Choose the type of access (Full Dropbox or App folder)
- Give your app a name
- In the app settings, add the redirect URI: https://api.runalloy.com/api/strategy/connector/dropbox/callback
- Configure the Permissions tab to select the scopes your integration requires (e.g.,
files.metadata.read,files.content.write, etc.) - Copy your App key (Client ID) and App secret (Client Secret) from the Settings tab.
- Enter your App key and App secret into Alloy Automation.
OAuth Scopes
Dropbox uses granular permission scopes:- Account info:
account_info.read(view basic account information) - Files metadata:
files.metadata.read,files.metadata.write(view and edit file metadata) - Files content:
files.content.read,files.content.write(download and upload files) - Sharing:
sharing.read,sharing.write(manage shared links and folders) - File requests:
file_requests.read,file_requests.write(manage file requests)
API Documentation
For detailed API documentation, visit: https://www.dropbox.com/developers/documentation/http/documentationUse Cases
1) Document storage and retrieval
Automatically upload files generated by your application to Dropbox folders and retrieve documents for processing, enabling centralized file management across systems.2) Backup automation
Sync critical files from your application or database to Dropbox for automatic backup and disaster recovery purposes.3) Collaborative workflows
Enable file sharing and collaboration by automatically creating shared links or shared folders in Dropbox when users collaborate on projects in your platform.4) File request automation
Create Dropbox file requests programmatically to collect documents from customers, partners, or team members directly into organized folders.5) Content distribution
Distribute large files, media assets, or documentation to users by generating time-limited shared links that can be embedded in emails or applications.API Gotchas
- Rate limiting: Dropbox enforces rate limits based on your app’s usage patterns. Monitor for 429 status codes and implement exponential backoff with jitter.
- File path case sensitivity: Dropbox file paths are case-insensitive but case-preserving. Be careful when referencing files to avoid unexpected behavior.
- Cursor-based pagination: Dropbox uses cursor-based pagination for listing files. Always use the cursor from the previous response to get the next page of results.
- Upload session for large files: Files larger than 150MB should be uploaded using the upload session API endpoints rather than a single upload call.
- Webhook verification: Dropbox webhooks require verification. When you register a webhook, Dropbox will send a challenge parameter that must be echoed back.
For questions or troubleshooting, contact support@runalloy.com.