Search not working

[Mmmooo]

Dropbox search can’t find anything. The files, however, are there. How can I make Dropbox find them or reindex them???

[klundq1]

@Jay - I am searching for a folder name. For example, I have folder called Doe, Jane, with numerous files in it. I search for Doe and nothing comes up. Sometimes if I search for just Do (part of the name) it does come up, but if I spell out the whole name nothing comes up. 

[Walter]

Hey @elsieljane, sorry to hear you're having issues with this.

Could you let us know if you're facing this problem on the mobile app, the desktop app or if it happens when you're using our website?

If it's not too much to ask, can you also send us a screenshot of a sample search showing this behavior?

Any additional information is more than welcome!

[Jackson]

Hi there @klundq1, sorry for jumping in.

Can you send me a screenshot of a search that does not return the expected results, and one with the files that it should have returned?

Thank you!

[Kav18]

Hi..in past 24 hours , all the files I have created or edited becomes unsearchable. I can manually find the files but nothing is found when I search for it using file name. Dropbox tech support asked me to wait 72 hours and it will fix itself. Just wondering if anyone is experiencing similar issues...

[klundq1]

@Jackson yeah I do not think I can do that because I need to keep the names private. Some folders come up, and some do not. I only have dropbox on my one computer - no other devices. It says it is synced (online etc).

[Megan]

Hey @Kav18, I'd be happy to help with this! 

Can you clarify which platform you're using on your end, when you notice this behavior? Is it the same when you use our mobile app, desktop app or web? 

Also, feel free to send me your ticket number reference, so I can locate it on our system. 

Thanks a bunch! 

[elsieljane]

Hi Walter,

Thank you so much for your help here.

We are using the website and not the app or desktop. It's a shared folder with multiple teams in our workplace.

I can't discern the pattern. Sometimes the search produces no result, and sometimes it produces part of the results, but not a complete list.

Appreciate your insights on what we can do to make the search function as it should again.

Example 1) searching for 'new age care' in the file title, a zero result or randomly sometimes the correct file with the exact capitalization

Example 2) searching for ColCare file with Orlando and Cape that we know we have, we had to scroll the folder without searching to find the files. The search using 'orlando' and 'cape' as keywords produced partial results but didn't include the desired files

[amcoffice]

I'm replying and tagging this because it seems that a lot of people are having serious search issues, frustrating or preventing any meaningful and thorough work.  Dropbox, stop ignoring us and please fix it or admit there is a problem so we can move on.

[amcoffice]

I wish Dropbox would stop the avoidance tactic by sending frustating go-nowhere questions and requests for informaiton.  The search feature simply does not worked as it has for years now. From what I can tell it is a problem with photos/files added or copied to Dropbox folders via the laptop app.  Now that I've searched the community boards, I know it's not me. In the past I have usually gotten prompt, meaningful responses to problems I've raised.  The silence on the search complaints is deafening...which probably means the search problems are chronic and serious. At this point, I wish Dropbox would just admit it.

[amcoffice]

I think I discovered something re: Dropbox search problems.

Problem seems to be with photos/files added to Dropbox via the laptop app - maybe an indexing issue with desktop app?

Within the last week or so, files added via DB laptop app are wholly unsearchable in the Dropbox website (whether in Chrome or Edge).

Photos/files uploaded to Dropbox via the iPhone app SEEM to search fine in the DB website and in the DB laptop app; It's the ones added via the laptop app that do not show up in responsive searches on the website - whether on Chrome or Edge.

Can Dropbox just focus on the laptop app indexing and solve the problem so we who are paying for their services can get some meaningful and thorough work done without constant backtracking and double-checking?

Thanks!