How to force download a file from Dropbox URL

So you’ve been given a Dropbox URL and you want to download the file, but it opens in your browser and there’s no option to download?

Here’s a quick and easy way to take that URL and turn it into a downloadable link.

In this example we’ll use this link

• https://www.dropbox.com/s/cxy4ateqcrzjncq/Get%20Started%20with%20Dropbox.pdf?dl=0

To make the link download – simply

1. replace www with dl
2. replace dl=0 to dl=1

For example

• https://dl.dropbox.com/s/cxy4ateqcrzjncq/Get%20Started%20with%20Dropbox.pdf?dl=1

Now instead of the file opening from Dropbox it will prompt to download/save the file.

 

Please note: many browsers by default open PDF files inside the browser. If this happens you need to use the browsers File -> Save as options to save the file. 

 

Reference: https://help.dropbox.com/files-folders/share/force-download