You can search for content in your Dropbox account by name, file extension (such as .docx or .xlsx), content type (such as document or image files), tag, folder, or a person who edited the content.
- If you have a Plus, Family, Professional, or Business account, you can also search the contents of your files.
- If you have a Professional or Business account, you can also search the contents of your images.
The Dropbox search feature:
- Isn’t case sensitive
- Spell-corrects your search queries when possible
- Scans all files and folders, including Paper docs
- Scans filenames, extensions, and even the contents of your files
- Loads your search results as you type
Search files and folders
On dropbox.com:
- Sign in to dropbox.com.
- Click the search bar.
- Type what you’d like to search for.
- Press Enter or wait for the results.
On the Dropbox desktop app:
- Click the Dropbox icon in your taskbar (Windows) or menu bar (Mac).
- Click the search icon (magnifying glass) at the top.
- In the search bar that appears, type what you’d like to search for.
- Press Enter or wait for the results. The app will display up to 20 results. If you need to see more, click View in Dropbox in the top right.
Note: If the file or folder is locally synced to your computer, you can click to open it on your computer (File Explorer on Windows or Finder on Mac). If the file or folder is not locally synced, it will open on dropbox.com.
On the Dropbox mobile app:
- Open the Dropbox mobile app.
- Tap the Search your files box.
- Type what you’d like to search for.
- Tap Search or wait for the results.
Filter your search results
On dropbox.com, you can filter your search results by content type, folder, or person.
To filter by a specific content type or folder, click the Any folder or the By type dropdown on the search results page.
To filter by person, search for them by typing their name or email address, then clicking their name from the dropdown that appears. You’ll see a list of all files they’ve edited that you have access to, ordered by most recently edited.
Preview a file from your search results
To see more information about a file in your search results, including a thumbnail preview, click the checkbox next to the file. You can see thumbnail previews for most types of files you can preview in Dropbox, except for audio files.
