Dropbox

Dropbox is a cloud storage and file synchronization service with cross-platform support. In Blober, Dropbox paths use this format:

/folder/subfolder/file.ext

Capabilities

• ✅ Browse folders and files
• ✅ Upload files (up to ~350 GB)
• ✅ Download files
• ✅ Create folders (automatically created when uploading)
• ✅ Delete files/folders
• ✅ Copy files within Dropbox
• ✅ Move files within Dropbox
• ✅ View file metadata (size, dates, content hash)
• ✅ Progress tracking for uploads
• ✅ Automatic rate-limit retry
• ✅ Token auto-refresh (OAuth flow only)

Prerequisites

• A Dropbox account (free or paid)
• A Dropbox App created in the Dropbox App Console

Authentication Methods

Blober supports two ways to connect to Dropbox. Choose the one that fits your workflow:

Method	Setup Complexity	Token Lifetime	Auto-Refresh
Generated Access Token	Simple	~4 hours	❌ No - must regenerate manually
App Key + Secret (OAuth)	Moderate	Indefinite	✅ Yes - automatic via refresh token

Tip

If you plan to run unattended/scheduled workflows, use App Key + Secret (OAuth) - it auto-refreshes expired tokens so your workflows won’t break after 4 hours.

If you just want to try Blober quickly, Generated Access Token gets you started in under a minute.

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Option 1: Generated Access Token

Use a short-lived token generated directly from the Dropbox App Console. Quick to set up but requires manual renewal every ~4 hours.

Credential fields:

Field	Description
Dropbox Generated Access Key	Bearer token string (e.g., sl.u.AGUFCwsCKpMW-...)

Setup steps

1. Create a Dropbox App and configure permissions (see below)
2. In your app’s Settings tab, scroll to OAuth 2
3. Click “Generate” under Generated access token
4. Copy the token - it is only shown once
5. In Blober, go to Workflows → New Workflow
6. Select Dropbox as source or destination
7. Paste the token into the Dropbox Generated Access Key field
8. Test by browsing your Dropbox files

Caution

Generated tokens expire after approximately 4 hours. When your token expires, generate a new one from the App Console and update it in Blober. Any in-progress workflows using an expired token will fail.

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Option 2: App Key + Secret (OAuth)

Use your app’s credentials to trigger a browser-based OAuth consent flow. Blober receives a refresh token and automatically renews access tokens when they expire - no manual intervention needed.

Credential fields:

Field	Description
App Key	Alphanumeric string from your app’s Settings tab (e.g., 3p6ac1pz2b3k7k)
App Secret	Alphanumeric string - click Show to reveal (e.g., 3p6ac1pz2b3k6j)

Setup steps

1. Create a Dropbox App and configure permissions (see below)
2. Copy your App Key and App Secret from the app’s Settings tab
3. In Blober, go to Workflows → New Workflow
4. Select Dropbox as source or destination
5. Enter your App Key and App Secret in the corresponding fields
6. Click Authorize Dropbox Access - a browser window opens for consent
7. Sign in with your Dropbox account and grant permissions
8. The browser redirects back to Blober automatically - you’re connected

After authorization, Blober stores a refresh token and will automatically renew access tokens in the background. You don’t need to touch Dropbox again unless you revoke the app.

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Required Scopes (Permissions)

Your Dropbox App must have these permissions enabled before generating an access token or authorizing via OAuth - tokens and refresh tokens inherit the scopes that were active at the time of creation.

Scope	Purpose
files.metadata.read	Browse and list files/folders
files.metadata.write	Create folders, move/copy files
files.content.read	Download files
files.content.write	Upload and delete files
account_info.read	Verify connection to your account

Setup Guide

1. Create a Dropbox App

1. Go to the Dropbox App Console
2. Click “Create app”
3. Under “Choose an API”, select “Scoped access”
4. Under “Choose the type of access you need”, select “Full Dropbox” to access all files, or “App folder” to limit access to a single folder
5. Enter an app name (e.g., Blober)
6. Click “Create app”

Tip

Choose “Full Dropbox” if you want Blober to access your entire Dropbox. Choose “App folder” if you prefer to restrict Blober to its own sandbox folder - files outside that folder won’t be visible.

2. Configure Permissions

You must set permissions before generating a token or authorizing via OAuth. Tokens inherit the scopes that were active at the time of creation.

1. In your app’s page, click the “Permissions” tab

2. Under “Individual Scopes”, enable the following:

   Files and folders:

   • ☑️ files.metadata.read
   • ☑️ files.metadata.write
   • ☑️ files.content.read
   • ☑️ files.content.write

   Account info:

   • ☑️ account_info.read

3. Click “Submit” at the bottom of the page

Caution

If you change permissions after generating a token or completing OAuth, the existing token/refresh-token retains its old scopes. You must generate a new token (or re-authorize via OAuth) for the updated permissions to take effect.

3. Choose your authentication method

Continue with Option 1: Generated Access Token or Option 2: App Key + Secret (OAuth) above, depending on your needs.

File Organization

Dropbox uses a hierarchical folder structure with forward-slash paths:

/Documents/Work/report.pdf
/Photos/2026/January/IMG_001.jpg
/Videos/vacation.mp4

• Paths are case-insensitive but case-preserving (e.g., /Photos and /photos refer to the same folder, but the display name keeps its original casing)
• Folders are created automatically when uploading a file to a path that doesn’t exist yet
• The root of your Dropbox is represented by /

How Uploads Work

Blober automatically handles uploads of any size, with real-time progress tracking.

• Files up to 350 GB are supported
• If a file already exists at the destination path, it is replaced
• Parent folders are created automatically if they don’t exist

Rate Limiting

Dropbox applies rate limits on API requests. Blober automatically retries rate-limited requests with the appropriate delay. Under normal use, you’re unlikely to hit rate limits. Large batch operations (e.g., uploading hundreds of files) may occasionally trigger throttling.

Troubleshooting

”Authentication failed” or 401 errors

• Generated access token: It likely expired (tokens last ~4 hours). Generate a new one from the App Console.
• OAuth flow: Try disconnecting and re-authorizing. If the refresh token was revoked (e.g., you disconnected the app from Dropbox settings), you’ll need to authorize again.
• Verify your App Key and App Secret are correct and belong to the same app.

Missing credentials

• Generated access token: Ensure the field is filled in with no leading/trailing whitespace.
• OAuth flow: Ensure both App Key and App Secret are filled in. If the authorization browser window didn’t appear, check that your firewall isn’t blocking localhost connections.

”Quota exceeded” errors

• You’ve run out of Dropbox storage. Free accounts have 2 GB.
• Empty your Dropbox Trash - deleted files still count toward your quota until the trash is emptied.
• Upgrade your Dropbox plan or remove files to free up space.

Insufficient permissions

• Verify all required scopes are enabled in the Permissions tab.
• If you changed permissions after generating your token or authorizing via OAuth, the existing credentials retain their old scopes. You must generate a new token or re-authorize.

Files not appearing

• Refresh the file list in Blober.
• If using App folder access, files outside the app’s folder are not visible.
• Check that the files exist in the Dropbox web app at dropbox.com.

Slow uploads

• Check your network speed - uploads are network-bound.
• Dropbox may throttle uploads during high-traffic periods. Blober handles this automatically.

Uploads failing mid-way

• If an upload fails partway through (e.g., network drops), Blober retries automatically.
• Check your network stability for very large files.

How to revoke access

1. Go to Dropbox account settings
2. Find your app and click “Disconnect”
3. In Blober, remove the existing connection

Revoking access invalidates all tokens immediately - both generated access tokens and OAuth refresh tokens.

Limitations

Storage quotas

Plan	Storage
Free (Basic)	2 GB
Plus	2 TB
Professional	3 TB
Business	5 TB+ per user

API limits

Limit	Value
Max file size	350 GB
Data transport (Dropbox Business)	Monthly API call quotas may apply - contact your admin

Path limits

• Maximum path length: 260 characters
• Individual file/folder names: up to 255 characters

Other limitations

• No cross-provider copy/move: Copy and move only work within the same Dropbox account. To transfer files between Dropbox and another provider, use a workflow with upload + download.
• Case-insensitive paths: Dropbox treats /Photos/IMG.jpg and /photos/img.jpg as the same file. Be careful when migrating from case-sensitive storage providers.

Terms Compliance

Your use of Dropbox through Blober is subject to Dropbox’s Terms of Service. See our Terms of Service for details.

External References

• Dropbox App Console - create and manage your app
• Dropbox API v2 Documentation - full API reference
• Dropbox Plans & Pricing - storage limits by plan