How to create a duplicate files report

The Dropbox duplicate files report allows admins to detect duplicated files that are using a team’s available storage space. 

The exportable CSV report is based on a scan of all folders that count towards your team’s available storage space, allowing you to identify any unwanted duplicates. It can be accessed in the admin console to provide a breakdown of duplicated content by location, owner, creation date, and size. 

Common reasons for duplicated files

Duplicated files are most commonly caused by:

• Intentional copies: Team members copy shared resources into their own project folders for convenience.
• Sync conflict copies: Dropbox generates two versions of a shared document when two users edit it at the same time.
• Delivery copies: Files sent to clients or partners are stored in both the working project folder and in a separate delivery folder.

How to find your team’s duplicate files on dropbox.com

To create a duplicate files report, you’ll need access to the admin console:

1. Log in to dropbox.com using your admin credentials.
2. Click Admin console in the left sidebar.
3. Under Products, click the dropdown to the left of Dropbox.
4. Click Content.
5. Click Export duplicate files report.
6. Click Start report.

The generated report is saved to a folder called “Dropbox Business Reports”. You’ll receive an email when the report is ready. 

What is in the duplicate files report?

The duplicate files report provides the following information for each duplicate file: 

• Full File Path: The location of the duplicate file.
• File ID: The unique identifier for a duplicate file. 
• Duplicate Group Number: The numbered group the file belongs to. Duplicate copies of the same file are organized into the same group.
• Original File: Whether it’s the oldest version of the file, based on the file creation date. 
• Owner: The team member that owns the duplicate file.  
• Size (MB): How much storage space the file is using. 
• Modification Date: When a file was last modified.
• Creation Date: When a file was created.