Dropbox integration with Simpplr

Table of contents

Enable Dropbox at the application level

Updates to your service account

Enable Dropbox at the End user level

Enable Dropbox at the site level

Using Dropbox files and folders

Enable Dropbox at the application level

To link Dropbox folders to a Simpplr site, Dropbox must be integrated at the application level. The App manager will need to complete the app-wide integration, then connect their own profile before sites can connect. To do so:

1. In Simpplr, go to Manage > Application > Integrations > Domains.
2. Find the Dropbox section and add your company's domain(s).
   
   
3. Head to the File management tab and check the box for Dropbox. Just like that, your Dropbox org is connected to Simpplr. Now it's time to connect your intranet profile to your Dropbox account.

Enable Dropbox at the user level

To access Dropbox files, each user must connect their own profile, including the App manager. To enable Dropbox at the profile level, follow the steps below:

1. Go to your profile image, then choose My settings > External apps.
2. Next to Dropbox, click Connect account. You'll be redirected to Dropbox and be asked to enter your credentials. Click Allow to give Simpplr access to your Dropbox account. Depending on your level of access, you'll be asked to accept certain permissions on behalf of Simpplr. More on this below.
   
3. For the admin user, after signing in, you'll need to click Allow to grant Simpplr access to team information. This permission request outlines the specific actions that Simpplr is requesting access to within your Dropbox environment. Let's break down what each aspect of the request means:
   • Access [Company's] Team Information: This part of the permission request indicates that Simpplr is requesting the ability to retrieve and view information related to your Dropbox team members. This might include details about team members, roles, settings, and other team-related metadata. By accessing this information, Simpplr could potentially provide features that rely on understanding the structure and composition of your team within Dropbox.
   • Ability to Add, Edit, and Delete Team Members: This part of the permission request indicates that Simpplr is seeking permission to perform actions that directly affect your Dropbox team members. Specifically:
     • Add Team Members: Simpplr wants to be able to invite new members to view and edit folders on behalf of the user requesting others see files in Dropbox. This could be useful if there are files that require collaboration or access by specific team members who currently don’t have access.
     • Edit Team Members: Simpplr aims to be able to modify the attributes or settings of existing team members’ access to files. This could involve updating roles and permissions to certain files/folder structures.
     • Delete Team Members: Simpplr is requesting the ability to remove team members from Dropbox access within Simpplr if they've been removed from the Dropbox file structure. This action could be relevant if Simpplr needs to manage access or maintain accurate team information.
   
   

Updates to your service account

Application root folder

After the Dropbox admin user connects their account to Simpplr, an application root folder will automatically be created in Dropbox’s service account. If this user disconnects the integration from their profile, the root folder will no longer be displayed.

• The folder’s name is [*app name*] root.
• The folder will only be accessible through Dropbox’s service account.
• The folder is used to define search parameters when searching for Dropbox files and folders that are linked to Simpplr. 

When Dropbox has been enabled on your app, all user permissions will be respected in Simpplr from Dropbox. If users do not have access to folders/files in Dropbox, they will not have access in Simpplr unless given by the Dropbox admin user.

All-company group

When Dropbox has been enabled on your app, an all-company group will automatically be created in Dropbox’s service account.  

• Like the root folder, this is also used to define search parameters when searching for Dropbox files and folders that are linked to Simpplr. 
• When users are connected to Dropbox, they’re automatically added to the all-company group, and can access Dropbox files and folders that have been linked or added to public sites. 
• To access the Dropbox files and folders that have been linked or added to private sites, the user must be a member of the private site and must be a member of the all-company group.

Enable Dropbox at the site level

Note:

Only a Site owner can adjust file storage for a site. If you can’t see the below options, you may not be the Site Owner.

To link Dropbox folders to a site where Dropbox has been integrated, you must select Dropbox as the site’s file storage. To do so:

1. In your Simpplr site, go to Manage site > Setup and scroll down until you see External files. From the dropdown, select Dropbox.
   
   
2. Now your site is connected to Dropbox. You're ready to add folders and files directly to the site. 

Create new Dropbox folder

Once Dropbox has been selected as file storage for a site, a folder named Dropbox files will be automatically created in the Files tab. To add more folders to your site, follow the steps below: 

1. In your Simpplr site, go to Files.
   
2. Click on the Dropbox files folder.
   
3. Click Link Dropbox Folder. If you create a new folder inside another folder, the permissions will be inherited from the parent folder.
   
   

Using Dropbox files and folders

View files

To view the files connected to your Simpplr site, go to Files.

In Files, you’ll see your site’s folders. Click a folder to view its files. The Dropbox folders you've connected will also be listed here.

Add files to content

You can use the File manager to add Dropbox files to your content. 

• Dropbox files can be added to content if the site and users are connected to Dropbox.
• Sites that have linked Dropbox folders will be shown in the File manager listing.

Add files to feed posts

Via File manager, any Dropbox files accessible to the user can be added to Simpplr feed posts from within the linked folder. When attaching a Dropbox file in feed (including home feed), the search results will be returned from the linked folders only on the basis of Access management configuration, and will include all Dropbox files linked to Simpplr. 

Remove files

You can remove attached files by going to the Content Details screen and clicking the X next to the file. Note that removing a file does not delete the file from the Simpplr or Dropbox database. 

Upload files

Under the site search bar, you’ll see the option to drop in files or Select from your computer. Here, you can drop files you’d like to upload to the site.

If you click Select from your computer, you’ll be prompted to search your computer for the file you want, and click Open to upload.

File options

Under Options, each file has a dropdown. Here you can interact with the file in several different ways, like downloading the file, sharing it, or (if applicable) viewing the file in Dropbox.

Note:

If you click New version, it’s strongly recommended that you keep the same file type for the new version of the file. Changing the file type in a new version may alter the look and formatting of the file.

You can also move files between folders.

File details screen

Clicking on a file in a post or in the Files tab of your site will bring you to the File details screen.

This screen gives you many of the same options as the Options dropdown in the Files tab. You can:

• Like the file
• Favorite it
• Share it
• You can share files with public and private sites. If you share a file to a private site, it will only be shared to the feed of that private site. If you share it with a public site, you’ll have three sharing options:

• Followers
• A user
• Another site

• (if applicable) view the file in Dropbox
• Version history
• Add new version
• Download it

Note:

The share option in the file options menu and file details page will be hidden if feed mode is not set to Timeline, comments on content and feed posts. Also, if you are no longer allowed access to a file in the Dropbox, you’ll receive an error when clicking on a file and routing to File details.

Search for files

You can search for files using the search bar in the top left. Search results will include files contained in pages, files uploaded to a Simpplr site, and files linked to a Simpplr site from file storage. 

Files in your feed

You can open and download files directly from pages in your feed, if the page has a file attached. If Dropbox is integrated on the app level, you’ll need to make sure that it's connected to your account before you can access the file. 

You’ll get results from all sites you have access to and can upload those files. 

You can attach files from any file storage account integrated with your org. 

Adding files to content

You can add files to pages, events, albums and blogs. 

When searching for files or attachments to add, your search results will include content you have access to.

Changing site ownership

If a site’s owner or manager leaves your company, the site’s files will be unchanged. Ownership of the files in the file storage account will need to be given to another user (by the site owner or admin), as long as that user is connected to the same storage account (like Google Drive). The new site owner will be given the root folder in their storage account, including the sub-folders contained in the root folder. If the new owner isn’t connected to the same file storage software, the original owner will receive a warning. They must choose another user, or the new designated owner must connect their account to the file storage software.