Dropbox Direct Download Link Generator

A direct link changes one setting at the end of the address

Every Dropbox share link ends in a setting that decides what the visitor gets. Dropbox writes dl=0, which opens its preview page. This page swaps that setting:

The rest of the address stays exactly as Dropbox wrote it. That includes the rlkey part, which the link needs to work. Nothing is sent to Dropbox; the link is built in your browser.

A shared folder downloads as one zip file

Paste a folder's share link and the direct link downloads the whole folder as a zip file. A folder cannot open in the browser, so the page always makes a download link for it.

Dropbox limits how much a shared link can be downloaded

Dropbox caps the traffic a shared link can use each day. A link that goes over is paused for a while, and visitors see a Dropbox error page until then. The cap depends on your Dropbox plan. A direct link counts the same as a normal one.

If you stop sharing the file, or make a new share link in Dropbox, the old direct link stops working. Make a new one from the new share link.

To shorten a Dropbox link without changing what it opens, see how to shorten a Dropbox link. To put a password on it, see password protect a Dropbox link.

Shorten it when you want to count downloads

Press Shorten it to save the direct link as a zip1.io address. The custom ending, the part after zip1.io/, is optional. Use letters, numbers, hyphens and underscores, up to 12 characters. Leave it blank and zip1.io chooses an ending.

After you shorten, you can switch the QR code to the short link, and each scan that opens it counts as a click. A click means someone opened the link. It does not mean the download finished.

The stats page shows country, browser, operating system and referring site, and the time of the last click. Anyone with the short link can open its stats. Visitor IP addresses are stored to count unique visitors. They are never shown on the stats page or included in the export. Read more on click tracking.

FAQ

• How do I make a Dropbox link download directly?

  Change dl=0 at the end of the share link to dl=1. This page does it for you: paste the share link and copy the new one. Opening it starts the download with no preview page.

• What is the difference between dl=1 and raw=1?

  dl=1 downloads the file. raw=1 opens it in the browser, if the browser can show it, such as a PDF or an image. Both are Dropbox settings.

• Can I make a direct link to a Dropbox folder?

  Yes. The link downloads the whole folder as one zip file. A folder cannot open in the browser.

• Why did my direct link stop working?

  Either the share link was turned off or replaced in Dropbox, or the link went over Dropbox's daily traffic cap and is paused. Make a new link from a fresh share link, or wait for the pause to end.

• Does this page contact Dropbox?

  No. The link is built in your browser from the address you paste. The page cannot tell whether the file exists or is still shared.

• What do the click numbers include?

  A click means someone opened the short link. It does not mean the download finished. The stats page shows country, browser, operating system and referring site, and the time of the last click. Anyone with the short link can open its stats. Visitor IP addresses are stored to count unique visitors. They are never shown on the stats page or included in the export.

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