gh-christianlouis-docuelevate/docs/DropboxSetup.md

Setting up Dropbox Integration

This guide explains how to set up the Dropbox integration for DocuElevate.

Required Configuration Parameters

Variable	Description
DROPBOX_APP_KEY	Dropbox API app key
DROPBOX_APP_SECRET	Dropbox API app secret
DROPBOX_REFRESH_TOKEN	OAuth2 refresh token for Dropbox
DROPBOX_FOLDER	Default folder path for Dropbox uploads

For a complete list of configuration options, see the Configuration Guide.

Setup Methods

DocuElevate supports two distinct Dropbox OAuth flows:

1. Per-User Integration Wizard (Recommended for end users): Triggered from the Integrations dashboard (/integrations) by clicking Authorize on a Dropbox destination or Dropbox-backed Watch Folder. Credentials are saved securely to your personal integration record — global settings are never exposed.
2. System-Level Setup Wizard: Available at /dropbox-setup for administrators configuring the global system-wide Dropbox connection. Generates environment variables for all worker nodes.
3. Manual Setup: Following the step-by-step instructions in this document.

Per-User OAuth Flow (Integrations Dashboard)

End users authorize their own Dropbox integration from the Integrations dashboard:

1. Navigate to /integrations and click + Add Destination (or + Add Source for Watch Folder).
2. Create a Dropbox destination integration (or a Watch Folder with source_type = dropbox).
3. Click the Authorize button next to the integration — it links directly to the OAuth wizard pre-loaded with your integration's configuration.
4. Enter your Dropbox App Key and App Secret in the wizard (or use the global admin credentials if pre-configured).
5. Click Start Authentication Flow, authorize access in Dropbox, and the refresh token is automatically saved to your personal integration record.
6. The page redirects back to /integrations on success. Re-authorization is available at any time via the Re-Authorize button.

Note: Your credentials are stored encrypted per-integration and are never mixed with other users' data. Each user can have multiple Dropbox integrations with independent tokens.

Using the System-Level Setup Wizard (Admin)

The easiest way to configure the global Dropbox integration is to use the built-in setup wizard:

1. Navigate to the /dropbox-setup page in your DocuElevate instance.
2. Follow the on-screen instructions to create a Dropbox app.
3. Enter your App Key and App Secret in the wizard.
4. Optionally specify a custom folder path for uploads.
5. Click Start Authentication Flow to begin the authorization process.
6. Complete the Dropbox authentication process.
7. The system will automatically exchange the authorization code for a refresh token.
8. Copy the generated environment variables for your worker nodes.

The wizard handles all the token exchange steps and provides you with the exact configuration needed for your environment.

Step-by-Step Manual Setup Instructions

1. Create a Dropbox App

1. Go to the Dropbox Developer Apps Console
2. Click "Create app"
3. Select "Scoped access" for API
4. Choose "Full Dropbox" access (or "App folder" for more restricted access)
5. Give your app a name (e.g., "DocuElevate")
6. Click "Create app"

2. Configure App Permissions

1. In your app's settings page, go to the "Permissions" tab
2. Enable the following permissions:
   • files.content.write (to upload files)
   • files.content.read (if you need to read file content)
3. Click "Submit" to save changes

3. Get App Key and Secret

1. On your app's settings page, find the "App key" and "App secret"
2. Set these as DROPBOX_APP_KEY and DROPBOX_APP_SECRET in your configuration

4. Generate a Refresh Token

1. Go to the "OAuth 2" tab in your app settings

2. Add a redirect URI: http://localhost (this is for the authorization flow)

3. Generate an authorization URL with these instructions:

   https://www.dropbox.com/oauth2/authorize?client_id=YOUR_APP_KEY&response_type=code&token_access_type=offline
   

4. Replace YOUR_APP_KEY with your app key

5. Open this URL in your browser

6. Authorize the app when prompted

7. You'll be redirected to localhost with a code parameter in the URL

8. Copy this code parameter

5. Exchange the Code for a Refresh Token

1. Use this curl command to exchange the code for tokens:

   curl -X POST https://api.dropboxapi.com/oauth2/token \
     -d code=YOUR_AUTH_CODE \
     -d grant_type=authorization_code \
     -d client_id=YOUR_APP_KEY \
     -d client_secret=YOUR_APP_SECRET \
     -d redirect_uri=http://localhost
   

2. From the response, copy the refresh_token value

6. Configure DocuElevate

1. Set DROPBOX_APP_KEY, DROPBOX_APP_SECRET, and DROPBOX_REFRESH_TOKEN with your values
2. Set DROPBOX_FOLDER to the path where files should be uploaded (e.g., /Documents/Uploads)

Token Management

The system will use the refresh token to automatically generate short-lived access tokens when needed. Refresh tokens typically don't expire unless revoked.

Testing Your Token

You can test if your token is working correctly:

1. Navigate to the /dropbox-setup page in your DocuElevate instance
2. Click the "Test Token" button to verify your credentials
3. If the test fails, click "Refresh Token" to obtain a new refresh token

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues with Dropbox integration:

1. Authentication Errors: Make sure your App Key and App Secret are correct
2. Token Expired: Click "Refresh Token" button on the setup page to obtain a new token
3. Folder Permissions: Ensure your app has the correct permissions enabled for file operations
4. Invalid Redirect URI: Verify that the redirect URI in your app settings matches the one used in the authentication flow
5. Rate Limiting: Dropbox API has rate limits; if exceeded, wait and try again

For more general configuration issues, see the Configuration Troubleshooting Guide.