Dropbox Cloud Storage

Both personal and shared Dropbox storage accounts can be presented to a user. This article covers configuring the Dropbox developer console and Foldr to allow users to manually link their Dropbox accounts.  Once administrator has completed the Dropbox integration steps below a new global share must be added to the configured shares list using %dropbox% as the Share path / URI.

Dropbox will become available in the user’s My Files section of the interface once they have linked their Dropbox account.

Dropbox Integration

Configuring Dropbox to allow API access from Foldr

1. Log into https://developers.dropbox.com using a Dropbox account that will be used for administrative purposes

2. Click Create your app

3. Select Dropbox API

4. Select Full Dropbox Access 

   

5. Name the app applicable to the organisation and check if you agree to the API terms & conditions

   

You will be presented with the app configuration / summary screen.  The default setting will only allow a single user to connect to the app using the API so this needs to be increased.

6. Click ‘Enable additional users’

This will raise the limit from 1 to a maximum of 500 users, if you need to go beyond this you will need to ‘Apply for production’ using the button shown on screen and following the prompts.

The status of the app will be ‘Development’ until you apply for production, but in most deployments, this isn’t necessary to apply for production.

There is no difference between production and development status other than the removal of the 500 user limit.

7. Click ‘show’ to display the App Secret

8. Configure the Redirect URI to the external address of the Foldr installation, and append /services/dropbox/connect as shown

9. Within Foldr Settings >> General >> Service Accounts, create a new Dropbox service account. Paste in the App Key and App Secret shown in step 7 into the relevant fields and click Save

The Access Token should be left blank as this service account is being used to link personal accounts.

The Dropbox API console can generate an Access Token which can be used to automatically present that specific Dropbox account no manual linking, but as this only applies to the account logged into the developers.dropbox.com portal, it should only be used when
creating shared Dropbox shares that you intend to publish to multiple users.

9. Create the global Dropbox share within Foldr Settings >> Shares

Important – The Service Account should be left unconfigured

 

10. Within Foldr Settings >> Services >> Dropbox – Enable the Dropbox integration service and select the background Service Account

Note – that the Background Service Account selected should contain a valid App Key and App Secret for the Dropbox API app as created at https://developers.dropbox.com

Linking Each Users Dropbox Account to Foldr

Now that the Dropbox integration steps have been completed, users will be able to log into the web interface and link their Dropbox account.

1. Log into the web app and click the Display Name >> Services

 

2. Select Dropbox >> Link your Dropbox Account

 

3. The user enters their personal Dropbox credentials and clicks Sign In

4. Click ALLOW

 

 

5. The account will now be linked

 

The user should now see their personal Dropbox share in Foldr across web, Android and iOS apps.