Dropbox Link Temporarily Disabled Causes and Fixes Explained

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If you've ever shared a Dropbox link, only to have it temporarily disabled, you're not alone. This frustrating issue can happen for a variety of reasons.

The main cause of a temporarily disabled Dropbox link is a security measure to prevent unauthorized access. This can happen if the link is shared publicly and someone tries to access it from an unknown IP address.

To fix this issue, you can try updating your Dropbox account settings to allow shared links from unknown IP addresses. This can be done by going to your Dropbox settings and enabling the "Allow shared links from unknown IP addresses" option.

However, if you're still experiencing issues, it's possible that your Dropbox account has been flagged for suspicious activity. In this case, you'll need to contact Dropbox support to resolve the issue.

Causes of the Issue

The 509 error is a result of Dropbox's bandwidth limits, which are triggered when shared links generate an uncommonly large amount of traffic.

For free accounts, the total amount of traffic is capped at 20 GB per day, while Pro and Business accounts have a limit of 200 GB per day.

This limit has not been reset, and it's unclear if Dropbox resets the daily time limit.

You might enjoy: Dropbox Account Linking

Technical Difficulties

Credit: youtube.com, How Technical Problems Cause Organizational Friction • Adam Tornhill • GOTO 2023

The 509 error is a frustrating experience, and I've had my fair share of it.

Dropbox's 509 error occurs when your shared or public folder links are responsible for an uncommonly large amount of traffic.

For Free accounts, the total amount of traffic that all of your links together can generate without getting banned is 20 GB per day. For Pro and Business accounts, the limit is 200 GB per day.

Dropbox sends an email notification to the email address registered with your account if your account hits the limit. Your links will be temporarily disabled, and those who try to access them will see an error page instead of your files.

The 509 error has been occurring since mid-November and doesn't seem to have reset per the daily limits mentioned above.

Dropbox provides no options to track down links that use the most bandwidth or even basic analytics.

Hosting a podcast on Dropbox might not be the best idea, especially if it's popular.

Credit: youtube.com, What are Links with Traffic, and how do you get them?

Dropbox's public links can be suspended for generating excessive traffic, specifically if a link generates more than 20GB per day of downloads for free users or 200GB for paid users.

This cap limit is based on Dropbox's help page, which explains the policy but doesn't provide much insight into how it's enforced.

One file I'm using is only 2.5MB, which would take 8,000 downloads in one single day to reach 20GB.

The other file is pretty large at 112MB, but even that file would have to be downloaded 179 times in a 24 hour span to hit 20GB.

It's unlikely that many people are downloading the file given how many people are visiting the page, but Dropbox doesn't give users access to that kind of information.

Here's an interesting read: Dropbox Users

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is Dropbox link temporarily disabled?

Your Dropbox link is temporarily disabled for 24 hours if you encounter a new situation, allowing us to review and ensure a safe sharing experience

Why is my Dropbox download temporarily disabled?

Your Dropbox download may be temporarily disabled due to excessive sharing or downloading. Try checking back later for access

Judith Lang

Senior Assigning Editor

Judith Lang is a seasoned Assigning Editor with a passion for curating engaging content for readers. With a keen eye for detail, she has successfully managed a wide range of article categories, from technology and software to education and career development. Judith's expertise lies in assigning and editing articles that cater to the needs of modern professionals, providing them with valuable insights and knowledge to stay ahead in their fields.

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