I’m working on automating our file sharing process and need help with a specific issue. When I create shared links through Dropbox directly, there’s an option to disable downloads which is perfect for our needs. However, when I try to do the same thing through Zapier’s Dropbox integration, this download restriction option doesn’t seem to be available in their interface. This missing feature is really impacting our business workflow since we need to share files but prevent people from downloading them. Has anyone found a workaround for this? Maybe using API calls or custom webhooks instead of the standard Zapier action? Any suggestions would be really helpful.
I switched to Power Automate after getting fed up with Zapier’s limitations. Microsoft’s Flow connector for Dropbox has the download restriction parameter built right into the shared link action. Super straightforward setup - no custom coding needed like with the API route. You can set it to automatically make shared links view-only during the workflow. We’ve been using it for six months now and it’s been rock solid.
yeah, zapier’s kinda a pain with this. i ended up using make.com (formerly integromat) - their dropbox integration lets you restrict downloads easily. if coding’s not your thing, it’s definitely the simpler route.
Indeed, Zapier’s Dropbox integration does have its limitations, especially when it comes to controlling download permissions. I ran into a similar issue a while back and decided to use Dropbox’s API for a more flexible solution. By setting up a custom webhook, you can issue a POST request to the Dropbox sharing API with the “allow_download” parameter set to false. This method requires some initial configuration, including proper OAuth authentication, but you’ll gain better control over your sharing settings. Just refer to Dropbox’s API documentation for guidance on the authentication process.