Your workflow is unique 👨💻 - tell us how you use Dropbox here.
Forum Discussion
vladgasan
Dropbox Product Manager
Dropbox Product ManagerCut the Clutter: Ignore Files Feature is now live
Update: This feature is now live and available to all individual plan customers! Thank you to all our testers, and share your feedback with the team, we're still eager to hear from you!
For years you’ve asked for a simple way to exclude files and folders from sync without using selective sync feature. We’re testing a new way to give you more control over what Dropbox syncs and what it doesn’t. If you’ve ever wanted to keep certain files or folders on your device without syncing them to dropbox.com, this feature is for you.
🤔 What is it?
Ignore Files lets you list exclusion rules in a special text file called rules.dropboxignore placed in your Dropbox root folder. Any file or folder that matches a rule will stay on your computer but will not sync to dropbox.com or count against your storage
👀 Who we’re looking for
- Desktop Dropbox users on Windows, macOS, or Linux
- People who regularly deal with temporary or bulky content, e.g.
- Software Engineers
- Video / audio / 3D creators
- Anyone who hates seeing clutter in their cloud storage
- Someone who is comfortable trying a closed beta feature and sharing honest feedback
🗓️ How the closed beta works
Here’s what to expect if you join the beta for Ignore Files:
- Register - Fill out the form here → [Sign-up link]
- Confirm: Eligible participants will receive an email to confirm their participation, along with the timeline details.
- Get Set Up - Make sure you have Dropbox app installed on your computer
- We’ll Enable It - We’ll activate Ignore Files feature for you.
- Try It Out - Use Dropbox as usual for 1 week, ignoring files and folders as needed.
- Share Your Thoughts - At the end of the week, we’ll send a quick survey. You can also opt into a 30-minute feedback chat (optional, limited spots available!)
✍️ Want in?
- Fill out the quick screener here by date → [Sign-up link]
- Keep an eye on your inbox - we’ll be in touch if you’re selected
Thanks so much for helping us improve Dropbox. We’re excited to hear what you think!
Got questions? Just drop them in the thread below. 💬
50 Replies
- Jay
Dropbox Community Moderator
Hi Justin from Just Front-end, you can find the instructions for use in this article on the Dropbox site.
Is the syntax exactly the same as .gitignore files? Where's the instructions on how to use this feature?
Would it be possible, it provide “ultimate” example. Ultimate being as many examples as possible? Or even better have a tool like gitignore.io
yayyy, I have been waiting for this feature for ever!
Honestly making a rules.dropboxignore with wildcards to ignore cache folders is just amazing (no more conflicts!)**/.ipynb_checkpoints
**/__pycache__
**/.vs
chef's kiss =*
thank you Dropbox!thanks vladgasan, that clears things up
side question, any way to hide the rules.dropboxignore file in main dropbox folder? I can do it using chflags hidden but just wanna be sure that won't screw up any functionality
vladgasanHi traf,
Thanks for flagging this. Quick check first: was the node_modules folder already present before you added it to your .dropboxignore file?
Ignore rules only apply to new files and folders created after the rule is added. If node_modules already existed, Dropbox will continue syncing it even after the rule is in place.
To fix this, please follow these steps:
- Remove the node_modules rule from your .dropboxignore file and save it.
- Delete the local node_modules folder.
- Add the node_modules rule back to .dropboxignore and save the file again.
After that, Dropbox should stop syncing node_modules going forward.
Let me know if this solved the issue.
-Vladthis feature seems to not work properly. dropbox tries to resync the node_modules folders I have in my rules.dropboxignore file...
any help is appreciatedThank you - this feature has been a life saver for me :)
- vladgasan
TheMonarch correct - most .gitignore rules should work in rules.dropboxignore file, with a few exceptions outlined in How to prevent files from syncing article.
