dropbox-sdk-js: Node 20 native fetch broke downloads, fixed in v10.36.0

TL;DR

When you run dropbox-sdk-js on Node 20+, pin the SDK past v10.36.0; earlier versions assume node-fetch internals that native fetch lacks. Fixed in #1167 by switching to the standard arrayBuffer() API, shipped in v10.36.0.

Steps

1. When you run dropbox-sdk-js on Node 20+, pin the SDK past v10.36.0; earlier versions assume node-fetch internals that native fetch lacks. If downloads fail with res.buffer is not a function, the SDK version is the problem, not your code.

When to use

You are seeing this: If downloads fail with res.buffer is not a function, the SDK version is the problem, not your code. Use this skill when you run into "dropbox-sdk-js: Node 20 native fetch broke downloads, fixed in v10.36.0".

When not to use

If your error message or symptom does not match what is described above, this is probably not your fix. Search for your exact error text instead of forcing this one to fit.

Versions

Versions mentioned in the source: past v10.36.0. If you are on something much newer or older, the details may have shifted.

Why this happens

The original report does not dig into a root cause. It documents the symptom and the fix that resolved it.

Source: GitHub issue dropbox/dropbox-sdk-js #1130 (closed, resolved): Node 20's built-in fetch broke SDK calls that worked on Node 18; filesDownload failed with res.buffer is not a function. Fixed in #1167 by switching to the standard arrayBuffer() API, shipped in v10.36.0.

Verified resolution: When you run dropbox-sdk-js on Node 20+, pin the SDK past v10.36.0; earlier versions assume node-fetch internals that native fetch lacks. If downloads fail with res.buffer is not a function, the SDK version is the problem, not your code.

Source URL: https://github.com/dropbox/dropbox-sdk-js/issues/1130