A method comprising: receiving, by a processor on a content management system, an installation request to install a client-side application on a client device, the installation request being associated with a user account on the content management system, wherein the installation request is sent from a web browser application running on the client device while logged into the user account; generating, by the content management system, an identification tag for the installation request; transmitting, by the content management system, to the client device, a client installer tagged with the identification tag and a web browser identifier identifying the web browser application, wherein the client installer is configured to: install the client-side application on the client device; and identify the web-browser application from which the installation request originated based on the web browser identifier; and upon the client-side application being successfully installed on the client device, receiving, by the content management system from the client-side application, a verification message which includes the identification tag to the content management system; performing, by the content management system, verification measures including determining whether the identification tag has been used or has expired; transmitting, by the content management system, a message to the client device indicating that the verification measures have been satisfied; upon receiving confirmation that the verification measures have been satisfied, causing the web-browser application to transmit an authentication message to the content management system, the authentication message including data cached by the web-browser application, the identification tag and an authentication key generated by the client-side application; receiving, by the content management system, the authentication message from the client device; associating, by the content management system, the authentication key with the installation request; and upon receiving, by the content management system, from the client-side application, a pre-authorization request comprising the identification tag and the authentication key, authorizing the client-side application to access the user account on the content management system. receiving, by a processor on a content management system, an installation request to install a client-side application on a client device, the installation request being associated with a user account on the content management system, wherein the installation request is sent from a web browser application running on the client device while logged into the user account; generating, by the content management system, an identification tag for the installation request; transmitting, by the content management system, to the client device, a client installer tagged with the identification tag and a web browser identifier identifying the web browser application, wherein the client installer is configured to: install the client-side application on the client device; and identify the web-browser application from which the installation request originated based on the web browser identifier; and install the client-side application on the client device; and identify the web-browser application from which the installation request originated based on the web browser identifier; and upon the client-side application being successfully installed on the client device, receiving, by the content management system from the client-side application, a verification message which includes the identification tag to the content management system; performing, by the content management system, verification measures including determining whether the identification tag has been used or has expired; transmitting, by the content management system, a message to the client device indicating that the verification measures have been satisfied; upon receiving confirmation that the verification measures have been satisfied, causing the web-browser application to transmit an authentication message to the content management system, the authentication message including data cached by the web-browser application, the identification tag and an authentication key generated by the client-side application; receiving, by the content management system, the authentication message from the client device; associating, by the content management system, the authentication key with the installation request; and upon receiving, by the content management system, from the client-side application, a pre-authorization request comprising the identification tag and the authentication key, authorizing the client-side application to access the user account on the content management system.