not yet?
It's not currently available, and we don't have any plans to share regarding potentially adding support for File Requests to the Dropbox API, but I'll be sure to pass this along as a feature request!
I could really use this feature at the API level. I need to be able to create a File Request in code so I can email the link to clients. Why would this not be part of the API? Very useful feature to have, I strongly encourage it to be added. Btw, I use the Java Core API.
Thanks for the feedback! I'll be sure to record your request for this too.
Agree - it would be very useful!
Just adding another +1 here. File Requests are one of the most potentially useful features Dropbox has, but if its not programmatic its nearly useless.
Thanks for the feedback everyone! It's very helpful in determining how to prioritize features like this.
Adding another +1 here – the ability to programmatically upload files to a File Request would be great to have.
Steven, I think I understand the use cases for programmatically creating a file request, but I haven't heard many requests yet to programmatically upload a file to an existing file request.
Would you mind describing your use case?
Steve M. I would be glad to go into further detail about how it would be useful for us but for not sufice it to say: This would be a huge improvement for us and our ability to utilize Dropbox. it would increase our ability to work with clients and their submission of documents much more efficiently and securely.
Jim, you're also interested in programmatically uploading files to an existing file request? I'd love to hear your scenario as well.
If you don't want to elaborate here on the forum, feel free to open an API support ticket: https://www.dropbox.com/developers/contact.
Steve, thanks for the response, and sorry for the delay.
It would be useful in some of our internal applications to offer file uploads to a shared folder without requiring that users fully authenticate first. There are certainly other ways to accomplish the same thing (on Amazon S3 or an FTP server), but it would be preferable to keep everything in Dropbox (for all the same reasons we use Dropbox for Business in the first place). If you'd like, I can open a support ticket and provide more specifics.
Steven, why wouldn't you just use the Core API (/files_put) to upload the file? (Why do you need to use a file request?)
Ah, /files_put would work, but it'd be a bit cleaner to use a File Request. The Core API requires that requests are authenticated, so we'd have to create an app in the App Console, get Oauth credentials from one of our user accounts, and then bundle those with the internal applications.
Steven, are you saying there's no server-side component to this app? (You're distributing apps that get installed on people's computers?) If so, you're right that you shouldn't embed an access token in that app, just as you wouldn't want to embed S3 or FTP credentials in the app.
I was assuming some server-side component that accepts the file upload and sends it along to Dropbox. E.g., in Python:
DropboxClient("<access token for the account>").put_file('/path/to/shared_folder/' + filename, file_to_upload)
If there's no server-side component, I guess you were hoping to create the file request once by hand, and then embed the file request URL in the app. Is that right?
Yes, that is correct. It's an internal application just for employees, so the credentials would not get distributed widely nor cause a real problem if they needed to be revoked. There's no server-side component for this particular feature, and direct uploads are appealing because we wouldn't have to build/maintain/expose one.
Another usecase is remove the need for a business to run a backend or ftp server. Just let a IoT application regulary send in sensor data to a dropbox account. E.g daily temperature readings from a sensors is pushed to a dropbox account.
"Family E.", why wouldn't you just use the regular /files/upload API endpoint to do this?
I would have liked to use the file request api for requesting files from a client. The client creates an order on a website, and part of this includes that the client should attach some files.
So if we could have sent a separate email with a file request using the API that would have been awesome - so we didnt have to do the upload script and email attachment ourselves.
Anyway.. not in the near future it seems
Thanks for the additional feedback and context!
Adding another +1, there is my scenario:
Without File request API I see two options:
Second approach is is what I'm doing right now. It is not cost-effective: you have to use SSL connection, and provide double transfer bandwidth (upload from client to my server and then transfer it to Dropbox). There is a lot server-side programming trics like upload limits on both sides (browser and server config). This all would be unnecessary if there will be Drobpox File request API.
Thanks for the detailed feedback!
My company would also take the advantage of using this feature programatically. We use Dropbox to collect assets from clients.
Add another +1 vote for an API to create a file request and also to upload a file to the newly created fie request folder. Below is my scenario.
I'm the web developer for a small graduate school. The website includes an online application form. Besides the form, an applicant must also submit an essay, letters of reference, and official transcripts. Once everything has been submitted, a committee of 5 faculty review all the documents and make a decision regarding admission.
When an application is submitted online, I'd like to automate the following:
Step one is already automated, but for now we will have to manually do steps 2-5. It would be immensely helpful if the API provided a way for us to automate the whole process. That way the folder would be created, the emails sent, and the references received without any delay, waiting on staff intervention.
I can't stress enough how useful this feature would be!
Thanks for the additional feedback!
Cheri, by the way, it sounds like you should be able to implement your system using the existing Dropbox API, without the use of file requests. That is, the Dropbox API lets you programmatically, create and share folders, as well as directly upload and download files to and from accounts.
Yes, the existing API allows me to create, share and upload to folders. However, my understanding is that the shared folder would allow anyone with a link to view all the documents in the folder (which would violate numerous privacy laws o behalf of the applicant).
I need to use the API to create a folder, upload a document, then generate a link that allows reference writers to upload a reference letter without being able to read the other letters of reference or the application form, and also allow the applicant to upload an essay and official transcripts without being able to read any of the (strictly confidential) letters of reference.
As far as I know, the existing API does not provide a way to accomplish what I need. If I've overlooked that ability, please point me in the right direction. Thanks!
I see, thanks for clarifying! File requests would make that relatively easy, but with the current API you could build an upload page on your own server, and then just allow the end users to upload there, and perform the API calls to upload to Dropbox on the backend, without exposing other files or information to them.
Another +1 from me. Our company wants to provide our clients with the ability to securely collect documents from their clients within an App without us having to run a central server where everything gets passed through (matters of privacy).
With a file request API this would be extremely easy. With the existing API on the other hand we would need a different App for every client which contains their own Oauth credentials. Also everyone would get full access to all uploaded files which must be denied.
This is just one of the scenarios where a file request API would be really helpful.
a BIG +1 from me.
Steve M I just don't want to manage authenication of a dropbox account on several distributed embedded system, a lot of them which I don't have physical access. A filerequest API seems as the easiest method for anyone or any device to add data to my managed dropbox account without the authentication hassle. I understand the security risks that someone not authenticated will add data to my dropbox without my conscent, but I am willing to take that risk and manage it when or if it happens.
I too have this need. I've put together a working example of an IOS api to originate a file request. You can find it at: https://github.com/tjdhome/DropboxFileRequester.git.
It's a bit of a hack (uses a hidden webview), but it gets the job done. I have automated the second part (actually, the easier part) and will post that code in a day or so.
The repo has now moved to bitbucket. Find it at https://tjdhome@bitbucket.org/tjdhome/dropboxfilerequester.git.BTW, this solution is deployed in an IOS app in the store.
