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Add .dropboxignore directory to exclude folders without using selective sync

Add .dropboxignore directory to exclude folders without using selective sync

Tom_M
Helpful | Level 6

Please please please can you add a feature that allows folders to be excluded from the Dropbox account (on windows and mac). For sure I'm not the first person to request this, but I'm yet to find a good explanation of why it's not there. A quick google search reveals loads of people also looking for the same feature. I really like the workflow I have with dropbox, but it's getting to the point where I might switch providers in order to allow better selective sync.

I've seen hackish solutions using selective sync, but it would be great if this could be done in one of the following ways:
- global pattern matching eg "node_modules"
- a marker file in the directory like .dropboxignore
- a simple right click context menu "Ignore this folder"

Other than that, keep up the good work. Cheers.
Tom

Latest Update
Emma
Community Manager

Hi folks, 

 

Thanks for your feedback on this.
While ignored files delivers for some of the use cases here, I appreciate it does not for all. 
We'll be taking another review of this thread to isolate use cases for a .dropboxignore file feature in particular.

I've updated the status and we'll take this to the product team.
As a side note, it would be helpful for us if you could outline the gap between what ignored files offers, and what a .dropboxignore file feature would add to your workflows.

 

Thank you.

Status changed to: Investigating
973 Comments
Ben C.21
Explorer | Level 4

FYI I've posted a different suggestion that proposes a minor but potentially very useful functional improvement to Selective Sync that would greatly help with this kind of use case without requiring a new, GUI-less mode of operation that is less suited to non-technical users (i.e. ignore files), and so is hopefully more likely to be implemented.

 

Selective Sync should ask where you want to remove files from

Ben C.21
Explorer | Level 4

Incidentally it is quite likely that Dropbox is resistant to ideas that facilitate the exclusion of data from uploads, as this makes it less likely that people pay to upgrade their storage...

stefek99
New member | Level 2

I was just about to suggest the same...

 

 

Capati
New member | Level 2

Is there another cloud solution that allow me to ignore files for upload?

Jason R. C.
Helpful | Level 6

+1

Terry U.1
Explorer | Level 4

How long will Dropbox Ignore this issue? How long before they loose a large portion of their paying client base becuase of this?
I for one have had enough and I am activly looking at alternative solutions. 
One that appears to handle ignores is MEGA and I will be trialing this and it is highly likely that I will be migrating my data and paid subscription over to them.

I really cannot fathom Dropbox complete disregard for this hughly requested featured.

corpsepk
Explorer | Level 3

+1

simpson b.
Helpful | Level 7

This is really weird, seeing how you already support the feature:

 

https://help.dropbox.com/syncing-uploads/files-not-syncing

 

You already have a list of files you won't sync. Why not add a few more matches from a file or registry?

Sqrcz
New member | Level 2

+1

dyihoon90
New member | Level 2

+1

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1,362 votes received Status: Investigating