API Integration Guide for Temporary File Uploads

Integrating API temporary upload functionality into your application enables seamless file sharing capabilities. This comprehensive guide covers authentication, endpoints, error handling, and best practices for developers.

API Overview

Modern temporary file upload APIs provide RESTful endpoints for:

• File Upload: POST endpoints for single and batch uploads
• File Retrieval: GET endpoints with secure token access
• Metadata Management: File information and expiration handling
• Authentication: API key and OAuth integration options

Authentication Methods

Most file upload APIs support multiple authentication patterns:

API Key Authentication

curl -X POST https://api.example.com/upload \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -F "file=@document.pdf"

OAuth 2.0 Integration

curl -X POST https://api.example.com/upload \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -F "file=@image.jpg" \
  -F "expires_in=3600"

Core API Endpoints

Upload Endpoint

The primary temporary file api endpoint for file uploads:

POST /api/v1/upload
Content-Type: multipart/form-data

Parameters:
- file: Binary file data (required)
- expires_in: Expiration time in seconds (optional, default: 86400)
- password: Optional password protection
- max_downloads: Download limit (optional)

Response Format

{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "id": "abc123def456",
    "download_url": "https://tmpfile.link/d/abc123def456",
    "expires_at": "2024-12-09T10:30:00Z",
    "file_size": 1024576,
    "content_type": "application/pdf"
  }
}

JavaScript Integration

Modern web applications can integrate upload api integration using fetch API:

async function uploadFile(file, apiKey) {
  const formData = new FormData();
  formData.append('file', file);
  formData.append('expires_in', '7200'); // 2 hours
  
  try {
    const response = await fetch('/api/v1/upload', {
      method: 'POST',
      headers: {
        'Authorization': `Bearer ${apiKey}`
      },
      body: formData
    });
    
    if (!response.ok) {
      throw new Error(`Upload failed: ${response.status}`);
    }
    
    const result = await response.json();
    return result.data.download_url;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Upload error:', error);
    throw error;
  }
}

Python Integration

Server-side integration using Python requests library:

import requests
import os

def upload_temporary_file(file_path, api_key, expires_in=86400):
    """Upload file and return temporary download link"""
    
    url = "https://api.example.com/v1/upload"
    headers = {
        "Authorization": f"Bearer {api_key}"
    }
    
    with open(file_path, 'rb') as file:
        files = {"file": file}
        data = {"expires_in": expires_in}
        
        response = requests.post(url, headers=headers, files=files, data=data)
        
        if response.status_code == 200:
            result = response.json()
            return result["data"]["download_url"]
        else:
            raise Exception(f"Upload failed: {response.text}")

# Usage example
try:
    download_link = upload_temporary_file("document.pdf", "your-api-key", 3600)
    print(f"File available at: {download_link}")
except Exception as e:
    print(f"Error: {e}")

Error Handling

Robust file hosting api integration requires proper error handling:

// Common error responses
{
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "code": "FILE_TOO_LARGE",
    "message": "File size exceeds 100MB limit",
    "details": {
      "max_size": 104857600,
      "received_size": 157286400
    }
  }
}

// Error codes to handle:
// - FILE_TOO_LARGE: File exceeds size limit
// - INVALID_FILE_TYPE: Unsupported file format
// - QUOTA_EXCEEDED: API usage limit reached
// - AUTHENTICATION_FAILED: Invalid or expired API key
// - STORAGE_UNAVAILABLE: Temporary storage issues

Rate Limiting

Most APIs implement rate limiting. Handle these responses appropriately:

function handleRateLimit(response) {
  if (response.status === 429) {
    const retryAfter = response.headers.get('Retry-After');
    const waitTime = retryAfter ? parseInt(retryAfter) * 1000 : 60000;
    
    return new Promise(resolve => {
      setTimeout(() => resolve(true), waitTime);
    });
  }
  return Promise.resolve(false);
}

Security Best Practices

• API Key Security: Store keys in environment variables, never in client-side code
• File Validation: Verify file types and sizes before upload
• HTTPS Only: Always use encrypted connections
• Token Rotation: Regularly rotate API keys
• Request Signing: Implement request signature validation for sensitive operations

Performance Optimization

Optimize your integration for better user experience:

• Chunked Uploads: Split large files for resumable uploads
• Parallel Processing: Upload multiple files concurrently
• Progress Tracking: Implement upload progress indicators
• Compression: Compress files before upload when appropriate