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Folder download

jjsk

Per https://www.dropbox.com/help/desktop-web/download-entire-folders I can download any folder through the dropbox web interface. How can I do this via the API?

I'm guessing the web client uses some form of API for this so this should be doable from scripts as well?

Thanks

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Greg-DB

The Dropbox API doesn't offer the ability to download entire folders like this, but I'll be sure to pass this along as a feature request. (The Dropbox web site uses a different, internal interface for this.)

jjsk

I think this would be nice resource saving feature. I've seen all kinds of recursive download scripts that basically inundate the dropbox API with requests for each individual file. Seems rather inefficient. Thanks.

deFreitas

Here is a workaround, you can create a sharedlink for that folder

curl -X POST https://api.dropboxapi.com/2/sharing/share_folder \
--header "Authorization: Bearer $TK" \
--header "Content-Type: application/json" \
--data '{"path": "/legacy/******-curl","acl_update_policy": "editors","force_async": true,"member_policy": "anyone"}'

then download it using the preview_url

wget -v https://www.dropbox.com/sh/{shared_link_id}?dl=1

Like this example

wget -v https://www.dropbox.com/sh/j1msw4e8dup2c5q/AAANYUWXcyBDgxVGkveU7AFla?dl=1

After all you can unshare this folder for security reasons

curl -X POST https://api.dropboxapi.com/2/sharing/unshare_folder \
--header "Authorization: Bearer $TK" \
--header "Content-Type: application/json" \
--data "{\"shared_folder_id\": \"1896934208\",\"leave_a_copy\": false}"

jjsk

This is nice thanks. I was also trying to decipher the download call through web client but it got a bit hairy. The zip file comes from

https://dl-web.dropbox.com/zip_batch?_subject_uid=<dropbox id>

but I could not figure out in developers tools panel what all the POST parameters were.

Greg-DB

The zip_batch endpoint isn't part of the public API, so I can't offer information on it or recommend trying to use it, as it is subject to change without warning.

Greg-DB

The Dropbox API now offers the ability to download folders as zips:

https://www.dropbox.com/developers/documentation/http/documentation#files-download_zip

If you're using an official SDK, there will also be a corresponding method for this endpoint.

jjsk

Hi Greg

This is good news. thanks for the update to the API.

jjsk

I just tried this API call and it worked great.

the only hiccup is an error when trying to d/l the root folder

"Dropbox-API-Arg": path: The root folder is unsupported

some files are saved in the application's root folder and the method seems to fail to get them zipped up

Greg-DB

That's the expected behavior. Downloading the root folder is not supported unfortunately, but I'll pass this along as a feature request.