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Dropbox

Upload, download, copy, move and delete files and folders in Dropbox, list and search them, and share them by link.

16 actions · 1 trigger · Sign in with Dropbox

Connect Dropbox

  1. In the sidebar, open Connections and press Add connection.
  2. Type dropbox and choose Dropbox.
  3. Press Sign in with Dropbox, then choose your account in Dropbox’s window and allow access.

Dropbox gives apps only short-lived access tokens, so the connection keeps a refresh token and renews itself.

What if it says “Dropbox sign-in isn’t set up here”?

Signing in with Dropbox needs a Dropbox app on this installation, and it has none yet.

On Cloud: The sheet says “It’s set up once for everyone who uses this service, not by an organization.”

Self-hosted: An admin of the installation sees Set up Dropbox sign-in instead, and sets it up once for everyone. Everyone else sees who to ask.

  1. Create an app in Dropbox’s developer settings (Dropbox’s guide).
  2. In GoRunner, copy the Redirect address to add in Dropbox’s developer settings, and add it to the app.
  3. Paste the Client ID and Client secret, then press Save and sign in.

Set up a sign-in app

Can I use my own Dropbox app?

Yes. In the sheet, open Use your own Dropbox app and paste its Client ID and Client secret. Add the redirect address it shows to your app first. The connection then signs in through your app instead of the installation’s.

Connections says how to sign in again, rename or delete it. In a product that embeds GoRunner, Add connection can be missing: then your provider makes connections for you.

Start a workflow

Add a trigger and choose Dropbox. The trigger uses the same connection as the steps.

On File Added or Changed

Checks a Dropbox folder about once a minute and starts a run for each file added or changed (or folder created) since the check before. The first check after publishing only takes note of what is there (it starts nothing); changing the trigger starts over the same way. It reads the whole folder (at most 10,000 files and folders; watch a smaller folder for more), and a file moved out and back in counts as added again.

Folder · Optional

The folder to watch, such as /Invoices. Empty or / watches the whole Dropbox.

Trigger on · Required

Which changes start a run.

Options: File added, File changed, File added or changed, Folder created.

Default: File added.

Include Sub-folders · Optional

Also watch everything inside the folder's sub-folders.

Off by default.

Work In · Optional

Your own Dropbox folders, or, on a Dropbox team with a team space, the team space.

Options: My folders, Team space.

Default: My folders.

A later step can use its data, such as {{trigger.change_type}}, {{trigger.id}}, {{trigger.name}} and 5 more. See Use data from earlier steps.

Do things in Dropbox

Add a Dropbox step, choose a Resource, then an Operation. Choose a row to see its fields.

Later steps read a step’s output by its name: see Use data from earlier steps.

Limits

  • A reply from Dropbox can be up to 16 MB (a file download can have its own limit). A larger one fails the step; it is never cut short.
  • When Dropbox says to slow down (429), the step waits as long as it asks, if the step’s time allows. Otherwise it fails and says when to try again.

Not in your list? See When an app isn’t here.

For developers

In the API, which calls apps pieces, Dropbox is pieceId: "dropbox" with actionId: "dropbox", set by resource and an operation_… field, such as operation_file. Its trigger is dropboxtrigger / dropbox_poll. Get an app returns every field.

It can change something outside the run (writes_external). See How versions and side effects work.

Dropbox › File

Upload

File Path · Required

The file's path, such as /Invoices/2026/invoice-1042.pdf. For Upload, a path ending in / puts the file in that folder under its own name.

Upload a File · Optional

On: upload a file. Off: write the text below as the file's content.

On by default.

File · Required

Upload a file, or switch to an expression to use one from an earlier step (such as {{steps.download.result}}). Files larger than 8 MB are sent in parts.

Shows when Upload a File is on.

Text · Required

The file's content, as text (UTF-8).

Shows when Upload a File is off.

If It Exists · Optional

What to do when a file is already at that path.

Options: Replace it, Keep both (add a number to the new one), Fail the step.

Default: Replace it.

Don't Notify · Optional

Upload without telling the account's devices and people it is shared with.

Off by default.

Work In · Optional

Your own Dropbox folders, or, on a Dropbox team with a team space, the team space (paths then start at its top).

Options: My folders, Team space.

Default: My folders.

Download, Get Details, Get Temporary Link and Delete

File Path · Required

The file's path, such as /Invoices/2026/invoice-1042.pdf. For Upload, a path ending in / puts the file in that folder under its own name.

Work In · Optional

Your own Dropbox folders, or, on a Dropbox team with a team space, the team space (paths then start at its top).

Options: My folders, Team space.

Default: My folders.

Copy and Move

File Path · Required

The file's path, such as /Invoices/2026/invoice-1042.pdf. For Upload, a path ending in / puts the file in that folder under its own name.

To Path · Required

Where the copy or the moved file goes: its new full path, such as /Archive/invoice-1042.pdf.

Rename If Taken · Optional

When something is already at To Path, add a number to the name instead of failing.

Off by default.

Work In · Optional

Your own Dropbox folders, or, on a Dropbox team with a team space, the team space (paths then start at its top).

Options: My folders, Team space.

Default: My folders.

Dropbox › Folder

Create

Folder Path · Optional

The folder, such as /Invoices/2026. For List Contents, empty or / is the top of the Dropbox; the other operations need one.

Rename If Taken · Optional

When something is already at the path, add a number to the name instead of failing.

Off by default.

Work In · Optional

Your own Dropbox folders, or, on a Dropbox team with a team space, the team space (paths then start at its top).

Options: My folders, Team space.

Default: My folders.

List Contents

Folder Path · Optional

The folder, such as /Invoices/2026. For List Contents, empty or / is the top of the Dropbox; the other operations need one.

Include Sub-folders · Optional

List everything below the folder, not only what is directly in it.

Off by default.

Include Deleted · Optional

Also list files and folders deleted from it (type deleted).

Off by default.

Return All · Optional

Read every entry, page by page (at most 10000; past that the step fails rather than stop early).

Off by default.

Limit · Optional

How many entrys to return (1–10000).

Default: 100.

Shows when Return All is off.

Work In · Optional

Your own Dropbox folders, or, on a Dropbox team with a team space, the team space (paths then start at its top).

Options: My folders, Team space.

Default: My folders.

Copy and Move

Folder Path · Optional

The folder, such as /Invoices/2026. For List Contents, empty or / is the top of the Dropbox; the other operations need one.

To Path · Required

Where the copy or the moved folder goes: its new full path, such as /Archive/2026.

Rename If Taken · Optional

When something is already at the path, add a number to the name instead of failing.

Off by default.

Work In · Optional

Your own Dropbox folders, or, on a Dropbox team with a team space, the team space (paths then start at its top).

Options: My folders, Team space.

Default: My folders.

Delete

Folder Path · Optional

The folder, such as /Invoices/2026. For List Contents, empty or / is the top of the Dropbox; the other operations need one.

Work In · Optional

Your own Dropbox folders, or, on a Dropbox team with a team space, the team space (paths then start at its top).

Options: My folders, Team space.

Default: My folders.