Find the Dropbox Folder on a computer

After you install the Dropbox desktop app, you’ll see a Dropbox folder on your computer’s hard drive. This folder will have the Dropbox logo on it, and will be named Dropbox. It may also show the name you use to log in to your computer.

Go directly to the Dropbox folder’s default location

By default, the Dropbox folder is located in your user folder on your computer’s hard drive. To go straight to the Dropbox folder’s default location, follow the instructions for your operating system below:

Linux

1. Open a terminal and type cd ~/Dropbox.

macOS

1. Open Finder and select Go to folder... from the Go menu.
2. In the dialog box that appears, type ~/Dropbox/ and then press the return key.

Windows

1. Open Windows Explorer.
2. Type %HOMEPATH%/Dropbox into the address bar.

Note: If you’ve connected a personal and work Dropbox account, you'll need to specify which Dropbox folder you're trying to reach. For example:

• ~/Dropbox (Personal)
• ~/Dropbox (Acme Inc)

Create a shortcut to the Dropbox folder on your computer

For easier access to the Dropbox folder on your computer, you can create a shortcut. To do so:

1. Go directly to the Dropbox folder’s location.
2. Right-click the Dropbox folder.
3. Click Make Alias (or Make Link on Linux). 

Your shortcut will appear with alias appended to the name of the file. You can move the shortcut to the location you’d like to store it in.

How to programmatically find Dropbox folder paths

By default, the Dropbox folder is located in your user folder. If you moved your Dropbox folder, or if you connected a work and personal, it may be located elsewhere or have a name other than "Dropbox." You can programmatically find the folder path through a JSON file.

Note: If you connected your work and personal accounts on this computer, your JSON file will show two accounts. The JSON file will only have one account listed if you have one account or your accounts aren't connected on this computer.

In the JSON files below:

• business/personal is the type of Dropbox account
• host is an identifier that uniquely specifies a particular user account and computer pair
• path is the path to this Dropbox folder

Select your operating system below to see further instructions.