How to migrate data from a server to Dropbox

Migration speed depends on your internet connection and bandwidth. We recommend that you start the migration process in the evening, or before a weekend, so your team’s work isn’t interrupted.

If you want to migrate as fast as possible, you can increase your bandwidth settings, which allows Dropbox to take up more of your internet bandwidth.
 

Important: Migrations can take time. File syncing is a complex process that involves several steps behind the scenes:

• Each file is first hashed and compressed. It's then transferred, encrypted, and stored on our servers.
• The Dropbox sync status displays an aggregate kB/s speed that includes these different steps.
• Once your files have been transferred to our servers, any updates or changes to the files sync much faster since we only sync the changes.

Every team works a little differently. Some teams find that it makes sense to migrate archived files first. For others, it makes more sense to start with active files. Either way, we recommend that you move your files in batches. When one batch of files finishes uploading, begin another batch.
 

Important:

• Avoid editing any files in folders that are still being synced to Dropbox or a team member’s computer.
• At times, Dropbox is unable to sync files that are open in certain applications. If a file is open in another application, close the application and Dropbox will resume sync.
• When a folder shows a solid green circle with a check mark for all team members you can safely collaborate within that folder. Learn more about sync icons.
• If you’re on a Mac, you’ll continue to have access to all of your content during the migration. However, edits to your files will only sync to other devices when the migration is complete. After the move is completed, Dropbox will ensure your files are up to date.

If you have a large amount of data, we recommend that you set up a file structure in your Dropbox Standard, Advanced, or Enterprise account first. Use blank folders and labels as placeholders for your data. After sharing these empty folders with your team, you can start moving data into the folders.
 

Note: Dropbox doesn't allow you to share a folder that's contained in another shared folder. For more tips on setting up a folder structure, visit this article.

If you don't have enough space on your local hard drive, you have two options:
 

Use selective sync:

1. Move folders in batches.
2. Wait for folders to sync to Dropbox and show a green check mark.
3. Apply selective sync to select folders.
4. Repeat this process until you have synced all your files to Dropbox.
    

Use Dropbox with an external drive.

1. If the Dropbox application has already been installed and has created a Dropbox folder on the main drive, use the steps in this article.
2. If you are installing Dropbox for the first time, select Advanced Options and set the location of the Dropbox folder as your external drive.
3. Once Dropbox creates a folder on your external drive, drag and drop your folders into it.
4. Consider these suggestions for creating a file structure. Since you are moving the files from one folder to another on the same drive, the contents of the folder will not take up any additional space on either your main drive or this external drive.
    

Important:

• Storing the Dropbox folder on an external drive is no longer supported on computers running the updated version of Dropbox for macOS 12.5 and higher. Instead, a new Dropbox folder will be created in a secure location on the local drive on your Mac. All content will be online-only by default so no additional space will be taken up on your local drive.
• When the Dropbox folder is on a external drive, the external drive should be physically connected anytime Dropbox is running. The drive also must be properly formatted for the operating system of the connected device. You can view the system requirements for supported configurations and file systems.
• The Dropbox folder should not be installed on a Network Attached Storage (NAS) drive.
• We strongly recommend against methods that add referenced files (symlinks, junction points, or networked folders) to the Dropbox folder. Using reference files causes high CPU usage, poor syncing performance, permissions issues, and quota usage disparities.