Sending Docs to Mobile App User

Box Platform API
1

Hi. I’m trying to find the best way to give a consumer using my mobile app a set of files created by my app when they click a button. Most of my users will not have a desktop computer or a printer. They will need to either (a) forward the documents to a FedEx email for printing or (b) upload the files to an online e-filing system.

I don’t want the user to create a Box.com account, because that would be confusing to consumers using a mobile app. The simplest thing would be to email the attachments to the user, but I’ve gathered Box.com can only email share links that cannot be easily forwarded to FedEx for printing or uploaded to an online e-filing system from a mobile device.

Any suggestions on the best way to go about this? Need a secure way to make it easy for a user to email the docs to a FedEx printing email or upload them to an online portal, from their phone.

2

Hi @DavidKing ,

The shared link properties should contain a direct download link, so I’m wondering if it would work for your use case.

for example:

curl --location 'https://api.box.com/2.0/files/976816493098?fields=shared_link' \
--header 'Authorization: Bearer 1!5...10.' \

Will output:

{
    "type": "file",
    "id": "976816493098",
    "etag": "1",
    "shared_link": {
        "url": "https://app.box.com/s/ywb4ofwxb6cepfmwoeltxk7z872to4e3",
        "download_url": "https://app.box.com/shared/static/ywb4ofwxb6cepfmwoeltxk7z872to4e3.pdf",
        "vanity_url": null,
        "vanity_name": null,
        "effective_access": "open",
        "effective_permission": "can_download",
        "is_password_enabled": false,
        "unshared_at": null,
        "download_count": 12,
        "preview_count": 15,
        "access": "open",
        "permissions": {
            "can_preview": true,
            "can_download": true,
            "can_edit": false
        }
    }
}

Let us know if this would work.