Add .dropboxignore directory to exclude folders without using selective sync

[Tom_M]

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

[Emma]

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.

[Guido Walter P.]

Hi guys,

I found a workaround to have Dropbox ignore the content of a folder; credits go to Raymond of the Unofficial Dropbox Wiki:

These steps will help you exclude a folder from syncing:

1. Lets say you have a folder that you want to exclude called NON_CLOUD.
2. We first create an empty folder that is renamed to NON_CLOUD and place it into Dropbox.
3. Then, we use selective sync to unsync that folder: https://help.dropbox.com/syncing-uploads/selective-sync-overview
4. Next, move your actual NON_CLOUD folder into the previous location of the empty NON_CLOUD folder.
5. That folder will have a grey circle with a “minus” sign and will not be synced to Dropbox.

It is not ideal but it does work for me.

Cheers,
Guido

[Brad B.23]

Nice, but I don't think this will work with auto-generating folders like node_modules, right?

[Guido Walter P.]

I am not a Node.js developer, but I think this trick will work for any folder with a given name.

For example, if I create an empty folder named node_modules, unsync it with selective sync, and then recreate it, its content will be ignored by Dropbox.

It is like having a .dropboxignore setting with a pattern exactly matching the folder name and nothing else.

[Johnny W.2]

Selective sync isn't an ideal solution for this, but I might try your solution, Guido.

All we need is just a simple regular expression hidden away for advanced users would be a god send. Waiting for 2000+ tiny files to upload from the `node_modules` folder is infuriating. 

I'm also a paying user.

Can someone get in touch with DB directly, I wonder?

[Johnny W.2]

To all those who want this feature: Don't forget to UPVOTE the ORIGINAL POST on the first page!

[Johnny W.2]

A repeat of an existing thread asking for the same thing. Why don't DropBox respond?

https://www.dropboxforum.com/hc/communities/public/questions/201289669-Ignore-folder-without-selecti...

[Johnny W.2]

Another repeat of an existing (and much asked for) feature. Come on, DropBox -- Respond already!

https://www.dropboxforum.com/hc/communities/public/questions/201289669-Ignore-folder-without-selecti...

[Sam B.27]

Thanks Johnny.. I hadn't noticed that before.. Just upvoted.

[Brad B.23]

Not that it will help, but I pointed to this thread on Twitter in a public reply to @DropboxSupport

[Tom_M]

I have an open case on this on the Dropbox help desk, and I pester them every now and then to see how its going. Apparently this forum thread is a footnote on the dev task "improved Selective Sync feature". So please keep voting to try and bring this to the top of the pile.