Power BI service and Dropbox

[MagnusSthlm]

Hi!

My client has Excel files in Dropbox. Dropbox released their developer api v2 late last year. 

I am able to retreive the Excel files in Power BI Desktop from Dropbox through the new api and do Refresh but when i publish and try to refresh on powerbi.com the credentials are wrong. I've seen other having the same problem. Has anyone found a solution to this please let me know otherwise we are loosing this client.

/Magnus

[v-yuezhe-msft]

@MagnusSthlm,

There is a discussion about this issue in the following thread. Based on my test, it is not possible to refresh Dropbox in Power BI Service, please vote up the idea that add Dropbox connector in Power BI.

https://community.powerbi.com/t5/Integrations-with-Files-and/Dropbox-API-v2-as-API1-has-been-turned-...

To workaround this issue, you can link dropbox to local file, then use local file as data source.

Regards,
Lydia

[MagnusSthlm · Accepted solution]

Hi!

I actually found a much more simpler solution to this. 

I add the file to Dropbox. Go to dropbox.com, then I choose Share on that specific file. Instead of sending a mail with a share I choose Copy Link.

Here's an example:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/yyxxqhka4t7eee1x/Salary.xlsx?dl=0

If a user clicks on that link he/she get's the htmlversion of that file. To get the actual file I change the parameter to:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/yyxxqhka4t7eee1x/Salary.xlsx?dl=1

That gives me the Excel file back. In Power BI I have to log on to Dropbox to access it but after that it's no problem doing refresh through the Power BI service.

Regards,

Magnus

[kennedy311]

This solution was a lifesaver! Just a heads up for any future readers...the time to load or refresh your queries are going to increase as a result of moving from a local Dropbox instance to the cloud. Otherwise, all good!

[sarahfelldown]

Magnus, I got copied my link in Dropbox, but I'm not sure what to do with it? What do you mean by in Power BI, log on to Dropbox?

---

@MagnusSthlm wrote:

I add the file to Dropbox. Go to dropbox.com, then I choose Share on that specific file. Instead of sending a mail with a share I choose Copy Link.

That gives me the Excel file back. In Power BI I have to log on to Dropbox to access it but after that it's no problem doing refresh through the Power BI service.

---