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.

[William M.35]

I agree that this feature is highly desired. 

[John B.187]

+1

[françois b.3]

+ 1

[Jonas P.5]

+1

[Grega V.]

+1

[Justin W.16]

+1

[Malthe H.]

Working with LaTeX in a group project is infuriating for the other guys, unless they turn off notifications. 

Please implement a .dropboxignore marker, preferably with the same syntax as .gitignore.

[Jason S.8]

Analogies to git ignoring files through a .gitignore file is perfect for the power user of this feature.

Similar to git, a global .dropboxignore file in the root of the Dropbox folder could define default policies; then, any descendent folder that specifies a .dropboxignore file would override those policies.

[George H.]

+1

Wow, almost two years and no new information on this xD
Just had to wait for 84k node dependencies to sync. At what point would you feel like this is detrimental to the user experience, especially considering your syncing client chows practically 100% of my CPU while syncing?

[Mats P.2]

George H. and many others,

I think it's painfully obvious that Dropbox management have their focus on other things, and not on responding to customer concerns and dealing with customer satisfaction issues.

The key question I'm wondering about is:

Why would Dropbox have these forums, clearly presented with their corporate branding, with links to their stuff only, without advertising, and then totally ignore what their customers are telling them?

To me it seems weird and fundamentally flawed. But I guess it's a cultural thing within the Dropbox organisation, or else the top management is asleep while being fed a bunch of BS from the staff supposed to monitor and report on these issues.

Anyway, I have given up on Dropbox and moved my key stuff to Sync.com these days without much issues. And customer support is prompt, courteous and helpful.  

I tell ya', them Canadian's sure can do things differently and better 😉