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Dropbox → mailed letter

Watch a Dropbox folder and mail every new PDF automatically: paperplane’s Zapier, Make, or n8n action converts the share link to a direct-download URL and mails it as pdf_url from $1.99 — no manual "Choose from Dropbox" step.

All Dropbox integration options · All integrations

Supported triggers and actions

TriggerAction
New file added to a watched Dropbox folderSend Letter, pdf_url = the direct-download link
File replaced (e.g. a corrected version uploaded)Send Letter with the refreshed file

How to set it up

  1. 1In Zapier, Make, or n8n, use Dropbox’s "New File in Folder" trigger on the folder you want to watch.
  2. 2Convert the file’s share link to the direct-download form (dl.dropboxusercontent.com, dl=1) before mapping it into pdf_url — a standard share link serves a preview page, not the raw file.
  3. 3Add recipient and return address fields — from the file name, a paired spreadsheet row, or fixed values for a recurring recipient.
  4. 4Sandbox-test the mapping first, then go live — every new PDF in the folder mails itself.

What the action sends for each new file

{
  "mail_class": "first_class",
  "pdf_url": "https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/abc123/letter.pdf?dl=1",
  "to":   { "name": "Maria Alvarez", "line1": "1 Main St",
            "city": "Richmond", "state": "VA", "zip": "23220" },
  "from": { "name": "Alex Rivera", "line1": "12 Grove Ave",
            "city": "Richmond", "state": "VA", "zip": "23221" },
  "email": "alex@example.com"
}

Under the hood

This is the automated version of the Dropbox hub page’s manual "Choose from Dropbox" flow — the only difference is the file link comes from a folder-watch trigger instead of a person clicking through Dropbox’s picker. We fetch exactly the file the trigger names and print it as-is.

Or skip the automation tool: ask Claude or ChatGPT

Every integration here sits on the same MCP endpoint agents use directly. Instead of wiring a trigger to an action, ask Claude or ChatGPT to draft and mail the letter. Same three tools (quote_letter, send_letter, get_letter_status), same price, same free sandbox.

Send mail from ClaudeSend mail from ChatGPT

Send your first letter from Dropbox.

Sandbox runs the whole pipeline for free and mails nothing. Live sends start at $1.99, one all-in price.

Send a letter
curl -X POST https://sendpaperplane.com/v1/orders \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{
    "mail_class": "first_class",
    "sandbox": true,
    "text": "Dear Ms. Alvarez, ...",
    "to":   { "name": "Maria Alvarez", "line1": "1 Main St",
              "city": "Richmond", "state": "VA", "zip": "23220" },
    "from": { "name": "Alex Rivera", "line1": "12 Grove Ave",
              "city": "Richmond", "state": "VA", "zip": "23221" },
    "email": "alex@example.com"
  }'

Dropbox integration options · All integrations

Common questions

Why does the share link need converting first?

Standard Dropbox share links serve an HTML preview page, not the raw file — converting to the direct-download form (dl.dropboxusercontent.com, dl=1) is what makes it fetchable as a PDF by pdf_url.

Does the folder need to be shared publicly?

No — only the individual file link needs to be fetchable by URL once converted; the folder itself stays private.

Can this mail the same file to multiple recipients?

Yes — pair the folder trigger with a Google Sheets row per recipient (see the Google Sheets bulk mail merge page) and reuse the same pdf_url for every row.