How do I set up a Dropbox app?
Create a Dropbox app, choose the permissions your workflow needs, and connect it through Template Credentials. Transloadit handles the OAuth redirect and token exchange; you do not need to build your own callback or paste a temporary access token into your Template.
Create the app
Sign in to the Dropbox App Console with the account that will own the app. Select Create app, then Scoped access.
Choose App folder when the workflow only needs files in the app's own folder. Choose Full Dropbox only when it needs files elsewhere in the connected account. Name the app and select Create app.
With App folder access, the Robot's paths are relative to the app's folder, not the root of the Dropbox account. Do not include the account-level path to that app folder in the Robot's path.
Choose permissions
Open the app's Permissions tab and enable the scopes needed for your workflow:
| Workflow | Scopes |
|---|---|
| Import files with /dropbox/import | files.metadata.read and files.content.read |
| Export files with /dropbox/store | files.content.write |
Export with create_sharing_link: true | Also enable sharing.write |
For imports from a Dropbox Business team space with Full Dropbox
access, ensure account_info.read is selected so Transloadit can resolve the account's file
namespace. If the workflow imports and exports, enable both sets of
file permissions. Select Submit to save the changes before
connecting the app.
Register the redirect URI
On the app's Settings tab, find OAuth 2 and add the following exact value under Redirect URIs:
https://webapi.transloadit.com/credentials/dropbox
Select Add to register it. This is Transloadit's callback, not a URL on your website. Keep the app's App key and App secret available for the next step; never include the secret in browser code, screenshots, or shared Templates.
Connect the app to Transloadit
Follow How to create Template Credentials in the Workspace that will run your Assemblies. Choose Dropbox as the service, give the credential a recognizable Name, and fill in Dropbox App key and Dropbox App secret from your app's settings.
Select Create to open Dropbox's authorization page. Sign in to the Dropbox account whose files
the workflow will use and approve the requested access. Dropbox returns you to Transloadit, which
saves the credential. Confirm that it appears on the Workspace's Credentials page before using its
name as the Robot's credentials value.
Creating an app is not the same as authorizing it. If you cancel the authorization or encounter an error, do not assume the credential was saved. Check the redirect URI and app permissions, then start the connection again. Review the account and access requested on Dropbox's consent screen; only approve access you intend to grant.
Changing the app's permissions later does not add those permissions to an existing authorization. Create a new Template Credential and approve access again, then update your Templates to use its new name. Retire superseded credentials only after confirming that no workflow still uses them. If Transloadit asks you to confirm your password again, complete that step before restarting the connection.
For Dropbox's app setup and authorization details, see its Quick Start and OAuth guide.