Download files with the pCloud API

Question

I am trying to make friends with the pCloud API, using curl in Bash,

Once I create a pCloud app and get its $clientid and $clientsecret, I can obtain a temporary access token accepting the request at:

echo "https://my.pcloud.com/oauth2/authorize?client_id=$clientid&response_type=code"

And given the $temptok token, I obtain the permanent bearer token with:

permtok=$(curl "https://api.pcloud.com/oauth2_token?client_id=$clientid&client_secret=$clientsecret&code=$temptok" | jq -r '.access_token')

At this point, I can use their API methods, published here.
For example, the userinfo or the listfolder method, which give:

curl "https://api.pcloud.com/userinfo?access_token=$permtok"
curl "https://api.pcloud.com/listfolder?access_token=$permtok&path=/"

However, I am unable to download files. Based on my understanding, I need to use a combination of file_open and file_read, and the latter needs the file size. When I open a file, I get an output similar to what follows:

curl "https://api.pcloud.com/file_open?access_token=$permtok&path=/foo.txt&flags=0x0040"                      
{
    "result": 0,
    "fd": 1,
    "fileid": 1234567890
}

When using the file descriptor for file_size method:

curl "https://api.pcloud.com/file_size?access_token=$permtok&fd=1"

I get the error:

{
    "result": 1007,
    "error": "Invalid or closed file descriptor."
}

What is the correct way to download files?

Bench Vue · Answer

Overview Order to download a file

I can download a file by Browser with getfolderpublink link.

The curl can download file. But it is not documented in pCloud web site. I found it by browser debugging window (F12).

I realize the download API is also not real download. It just get the file meta data for file.

https://api.pcloud.com/getfilelink?fileid={my-file-id}&auth={my-auth}'

Download file by Curl

curl -o {download-file-name} -L -X GET 'https://p-def7.pcloud.com/{full path of my file}' \
-H "Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf-8" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $token"

Demo

1 Get Auth ID

https://my.pcloud.com/oauth2/authorize?client_id={my_client_id}&response_type=code

2 Get Access Token & Auth code

https://u.pcloud.com/oauth2/authorize?client_id=9xxxxxx7&response_type=code&auth={auth_id}

Auth code is important and Access Token

auth=wt9xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxgX

Get access token with code.

curl -L -X POST 'https://api.pcloud.com/oauth2_token' \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf-8' \
--form 'client_id="9xxxxxxx7"' \
--form 'client_secret="4xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX"' \
--form 'code="lKxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX"'

response

{
    "result": 0,
    "userid": 18905223,
    "locationid": 1,
    "token_type": "bearer",
    "access_token": "lKxxxxxxxxxxxxxx-My-Token-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxG7"
}

3 Assign environment variable with token name at terminal

$ token="lKxxxxxxxxxxxxxx-My-Token-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxG7"

4 Get file information by get list-folder API

I will down load one of file Getting started with pCloud.pdf I need to get fileid from JSON response. The "fileid" is 43338896472

curl -L -X GET 'https://api.pcloud.com/listfolder?path=/' \
-H "Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf-8" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $token" | jq

{
  "result": 0,
  "metadata": {
    "path": "/",
    "name": "/",
    "created": "Sat, 17 Sep 2022 23:58:07 +0000",
    "ismine": true,
    "thumb": false,
    "modified": "Sat, 17 Sep 2022 23:58:07 +0000",
    "id": "d0",
    "isshared": false,
    "icon": "folder",
    "isfolder": true,
    "folderid": 0,
    "contents": [
.... other three default directories
      {
        "name": "Getting started with pCloud.pdf",
        "created": "Sat, 17 Sep 2022 23:58:07 +0000",
        "videocodec": "",
        "thumb": false,
        "modified": "Sat, 17 Sep 2022 23:58:07 +0000",
        "size": 16371465,
        "audiobitrate": 0,
        "fps": "0.00",
        "comments": 0,
        "isfolder": false,
        "height": 0,
        "rotate": 0,
        "fileid": 43338896472,
        "videobitrate": 0,
        "width": 0,
        "hash": 3096725505949383000,
        "duration": "0.00",
        "path": "/Getting started with pCloud.pdf",
        "category": 4,
        "audiosamplerate": 0,
        "id": "f43338896472",
        "isshared": false,
        "ismine": true,
        "audiocodec": "mp3",
        "parentfolderid": 0,
        "contenttype": "application/pdf",
        "icon": "document"
      }
    ]

5 Get file information by stat API (include file size)

curl -L -X GET 'https://api.pcloud.com/stat?fileid=43338896472' \
-H "Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf-8" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $token" | jq

{
  "result": 0,
  "metadata": {
    "name": "Getting started with pCloud.pdf",
    "created": "Sat, 17 Sep 2022 23:58:07 +0000",
    "videocodec": "",
    "thumb": false,
    "modified": "Sat, 17 Sep 2022 23:58:07 +0000",
    "size": 16371465,
    "audiobitrate": 0,
    "fps": "0.00",
    "comments": 0,
    "isfolder": false,
    "height": 0,
    "rotate": 0,
    "fileid": 43338896472,
    "videobitrate": 0,
    "width": 0,
    "hash": 3096725505949383000,
    "duration": "0.00",
    "category": 4,
    "audiosamplerate": 0,
    "id": "f43338896472",
    "isshared": false,
    "ismine": true,
    "audiocodec": "mp3",
    "parentfolderid": 0,
    "contenttype": "application/pdf",
    "icon": "document"
  }
}

6 Get getfilepublink API

get link information in JSON response

"link": "https://u.pcloud.link/publink/show?code=XZ9xxxxxxxxxxsss6Sk"

curl -L -X GET 'https://api.pcloud.com/getfilepublink?fileid=43338896472' \
-H "Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf-8" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $token" | jq

{
  "code": "XZ9bBhVZ0lSVBSVb4jJKDXJAJBBJ0FIOs6Sk",
  "created": "Sun, 18 Sep 2022 01:15:38 +0000",
  "downloadenabled": true,
  "type": 1,
  "modified": "Sun, 18 Sep 2022 01:15:38 +0000",
  "downloads": 1,
  "link": "https://u.pcloud.link/publink/show?code=XZ9xxxxxxxxxxsss6Sk", <- I modified the code
  "result": 0,
  "linkid": 60017201,
  "haspassword": false,
  "traffic": 16371465,
  "views": 20,
  "metadata": {
    "name": "Getting started with pCloud.pdf",
    "created": "Sat, 17 Sep 2022 23:58:07 +0000",
    "videocodec": "",
    "thumb": false,
    "modified": "Sat, 17 Sep 2022 23:58:07 +0000",
    "size": 16371465,
    "audiobitrate": 0,
    "fps": "0.00",
    "comments": 0,
    "isfolder": false,
    "height": 0,
    "rotate": 0,
    "fileid": 43338896472,
    "videobitrate": 0,
    "width": 0,
    "hash": 3096725505949383000,
    "duration": "0.00",
    "category": 4,
    "audiosamplerate": 0,
    "id": "f43338896472",
    "isshared": false,
    "ismine": true,
    "audiocodec": "mp3",
    "parentfolderid": 0,
    "contenttype": "application/pdf",
    "icon": "document"
  }
}

7 Get download metadata API - same result of Step 6's part

8 Get file path and host URL

Host name array will be different depends on file's attribute(offical default file or personal file)

curl -L -X GET 'https://api.pcloud.com/getfilelink?fileid=43338896472&auth=wt9xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxgX' \
-H "Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf-8" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $token"

{
    "result": 0,
    "dwltag": "GYYEgtilNwytpYulbsh1UB",
    "hash": 3096725505949383041,
    "size": 16371465,
    "expires": "Sun, 18 Sep 2022 10:53:50 +0000",
    "path": "\/cfZRj4OT2Zwk45bAZlKxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxZbRZlJZ0JZKXZmpZSHZY7ZsFZzpZS5ZLa6pViVfwjfcge2gksnF08W9Qwi7\/Getting%20started%20with%20pCloud.pdf",
    "hosts": [
        "p-def7.pcloud.com",
        "c432.pcloud.com"
    ]
}

9 Finally I can download with Step 8 host name and path

full URL = Host[0] name + path (remove first two characters \ /)

curl -o guide.pdf -L -X GET 'https://p-def7.pcloud.com/cfZRj4OT2Zwk45bAZlKxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxZbRZlJZ0JZKXZmpZSHZY7ZsFZzpZS5ZLa6pViVfwjfcge2gksnF08W9Qwi7\/Getting%20started%20with%20pCloud.pdf' \
-H "Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf-8" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $token"

I can download by browser two.