Changes in the URLs of the web application and download links

[ManuelH]

The Basics

• Nextcloud Server version (e.g., 29.x.x):
  • 31.02
• Operating system and version (e.g., Ubuntu 24.04):
  • Ubuntu 22.04
• Web server and version (e.g, Apache 2.4.25):
  • Apache (from latest Nextcloud snap version)
• Reverse proxy and version _(e.g. nginx 1.27.2)
  • Apache 2.4.52
• PHP version (e.g, 8.3):
  • 8.1.2
• Is this the first time you’ve seen this error? (Yes / No):
  • Yes
• When did this problem seem to first start?
  • april 14th
• Installation method (e.g. AlO, NCP, Bare Metal/Archive, etc.)
  • snap
• Are you using CloudfIare, mod_security, or similar? (Yes / No)
  • No

Summary of the issue you are facing:

After updating to version 31.02 of NextCloud, we have noticed changes in the URLs. For example, a download link from the previous version would be:

https://my-site.com/descargas/index.php/s/key/download?path=%2FPATH%2FTO%2FTHE%2FFILE&files=my-doc.pdf

whereas in the current version, the link to the same file is:

https://my-site.com/descargas/public.php/dav/files/key/PATH/TO/THE/FILE/my-doc.pdf

Other types of link, like navigation links, have also changed. We have not found any reference to those changes in the documentation.
Has anyone else experienced this?

[SmallOne]

Is this a problem that the url changed? Internals in nextcloud changes over time. And there are safe links to documents that can be accessed form the sidebar.

From what version did you update?

[ManuelH]

Hi! Yes, at least in our case it is a problem. We have a publicly shared folder with general interest information about a fair number of different topics. In many cases we use direct links to folders (even direct download links) to provide easy access to the data from other topic-specific pages. Those links stopped working properly after the update, and there are a large number of them.
We managed to fix most of the issues using our reverse proxy, but if this happens again it can become unmanageable.
I have not been able to find the safe links that you mentioned, however I strongly suspect that they do not apply to our use case.
The update happened from the previous version offered via snap, I can’t tell you exactly which one it was, sorry.

[SmallOne]

You should not use the urls in the browser as links to share with others. You should use the internal or extrnal share links.

Links should be https://<nc_instance>/s/ for public links or https://<nc_instance>/f/ for private links.

Those links are permanent, whats in the url might not be.

You can also give a public link an easy name if it should be completely public and easily accessible.

[SmallOne]

So if you have a file somewhere that should be linked on a page. Generate a share link for that file and use that. Instead of a large folder and link to files in that folder.

[ManuelH]

I’m afraid that the solution of creating a share link for every downloadable file is not feasible for us. I will mark as an answer one of your messages to close the thread and since it clarifies the origin of problem for others (only the share links are ‘stable’ and secure to share).
Thanks for your answers and your time!