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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
Dariusz G.
New member | Level 1

This is the reason I'm slowly moving to other Cloud Provider:

http://blog.jonathanargentiero.com/avoid-sync-folders-and-files-in-dropbox-or-google-drive-as-git-wi...

 

 

David Z.21
New member | Level 1

And many people come here who doesn't even post, but this is necessary since dropbox speed up the CPU when you do, composer install or npm install or bower install... there are so many garbage and projects...

Henrique G.1
New member | Level 2

+1

Adam V.6
New member | Level 1

This would be fantastic!!! +1

I have my projects folder backing up to dropbox, which contains vagrant VMs that I don't particulary want backed up specifically the .vagrant/ folder. In fact Dropbox will spike to 100%+ CPU when it even attempts to sync that.  I actually have to turn off Dropbox while I work on a project that requires vagrant and then remember to turn it back on again.

I would absolutely LOVE a .dropboxignore

 

Guido Walter P.
New member | Level 2

Plus a billion. I have been using Dropbox since its very start. My two Dropbox Pro subscriptions are about to expire and, for the first time, I am considering not renewing them.

Sean-Anthony S.
New member | Level 1

I have this problem as well, It's an easy fix as far as I can see to get it to ignore the files, the file type isn't used by any other app/program.

Marco F.19
New member | Level 1

+100 Why isn't this a thing yet? Does dropbox even read this?

Muhammad J.6
New member | Level 1

+1 for this feature. We desperately need this.

eddie j.
New member | Level 1

This has been around for almost a year. They are not serious about it. I suggest you look at alternatives. I am currently investigating OwnCloud and it looks quite good. DigitalOcean have a prebuilt VM to be up in 1 minute and doesn't cost much at all.

Its a shame that DropBox have dropped the ball on this.

Brad B.23
New member | Level 2

I've tried MEGA but their software is not as good quality. With that said, this is definitely causing me to look for other syncing providers, and I am a paying Dropbox customer.

Poor form on their part to not even respond to an issue that is more than a year old, and has a ton of requests.

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