Environment
Dropbox
Issue
Why aren't some of my Dropbox files appearing in the Dropbox desktop app even though they appear at dropbox.com on the web?
Resolution
Even if you don’t get an error message when you name a file, if you don’t follow the guidelines below, it could cause a problem when you try to open or sync the file on your machine or the file won't be seen in File Explorer or Finder. The information below can also be found on Dropbox's Help Center.
File and folder name recommendations
- File path might be too long - Use fewer than 260 characters in file or folder paths
- File and folder paths must be less than 260 characters long
- For example, the file path “C:\Users\Panda\My Documents\Dropbox\Creative Nonfiction\My Autobiography\Favorite Things\Favorite Foods\Bamboo\Family Recipes\Fresh Leaves.doc” has 142 characters
- Don’t use special characters in file names
- Don’t use the following characters in file or folder names:
/ (forward slash)
\ (backslash)
< (less than)
> (greater than)
: (colon)
" (double quote)
| (vertical bar or pipe)
? (question mark)
* (asterisk)
. (period)
emojis or emoticons
- Don’t add a space at the end of a file or folder name
- For example, don’t name a file or folder “Panda .png”
Additional Information
Need additional information or assistance? Contact the ITS Service Center.