How to get started with the team space

What is the team space?

The team space is shared with everyone on your Dropbox team account. The team space looks the same and has the same structure for all team members.

In the team space, you have two different kinds of folders:

• Team folders: Within a team folder, each file or folder can be shared with a different set of people. You can choose to allow others to view or edit the files in a team folder—or block access altogether.
• Team member folders: Your team member folder is your space and isn't shared with the rest of your team by default. However, you can choose to share files in your team member folder with other members of your team if you’d like.

Example of the team space

Your name is Janey Smith, and you're in the design department of an organization named Hanford Inc. You just joined your team’s Dropbox business account.

In your Dropbox account, you see a team space called Hanford Inc. When you click this, you see several folders: 

• Janey Smith: This is your team member folder. 
• Design: This folder contains files and folders for design projects. You can access and view all the files in this folder. This is a team folder that you have access to.
• Marketing: The Marketing folder is a blue folder with a diagonal line in a circle on it. If you try to open Marketing, you see an error message: No access to the folder "Marketing.” This is a team folder that you don’t have access to.

How to share in the team space

The team space is accessible to the entire team, but that doesn’t mean that all team members have access to all content. You can have different permissions to folders in the team space:

• Can edit: You can view, edit, and manage access to the contents of this folder
• Can view: You can view the contents of this folder
• No access: You can't view the contents of this folder

By default, anyone with edit permissions to a folder has edit permissions to all folders inside that folder as well. For example, if you can edit “Design,” you can edit any folders inside “Design,” unless access to a subfolder is restricted.

You can also share a folder by selecting edit or view permissions, clicking Copy Link, then pasting and sharing where desired.

Members of your team that receive an edit link will be able to add the folder to their Dropbox account and collaborate on content. If an edit link is sent to someone who is not a member of your team, they will need to request and be granted permission before they are able to add the folder to their Dropbox account and collaborate on content.

Note: When you make changes to a shared folder in the team space, the changes are reflected for all team members.

Sharing in a team folder

If you have edit access in a team folder, you can add or remove people from that folder and its subfolders. To do this:

1. Sign in to dropbox.com.
2. Navigate to the folder you want to add or remove people from.
3. Hover over the name of the folder and click the share icon (rectangle with an up arrow).
   • To add people, enter their names or email addresses in the text box. After you add members and choose their access level, click Share folder.
   • To remove people, click Who can access, then click the dropdown next to their name and select Remove.

From the share window, you can see who can access that folder and what permissions they have. Next to the team member or group name, you’ll see Owner, Can edit, or Can view.

For example, the design team can have a “Design” folder in the team space that only people in the design group can access. The Design team could then add additional people to folders inside their “Design” folder.

Note: Blue folders with a diagonal line in a circle are restricted and you won't be able to access them. If you try to open one of these folders, you'll see this error: No access to the folder “Folder name.”

Sharing in a team member folder

You can share files and folders in your team member folder with shared folders and shared links. You decide who can access this content.

If someone else invites you to a folder that isn't in the team space, you can Add this folder to your team member folder. When you receive a folder invite, the invite shows where you'll add the folder: either in your team member folder or a team folder. Adding the folder lets you access its contents in your Dropbox account.

Note: If you share a file or folder in your team member folder, only that file or folder that you select is shared. Nothing else in your team member folder is shared unless you choose to share it.

If you join a Dropbox team account with an existing Dropbox individual account, your team member folder will contain all of your existing files from your individual account. You can move any content that should be shared with your team into team folders.

How to move files and folders into the team space

You can move a shared folder into the team space as long as the following requirements are met:

1) You have edit access to the folder you’re trying to move. To check this, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to dropbox.com.
2. Navigate to the folder you want to move.
3. Hover over the name of the folder and click the share icon (rectangle with an up arrow).
4. Click Who can access.
5. See Can edit to the right of your name or group.

2) The Manage access setting is set to Folder members. To check this, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to dropbox.com.
2. Navigate to the folder you want to move.
3. Hover over the name of the folder and click the share icon (rectangle with an up arrow).
4. Click the gear icon.
5. See Folder members from the dropdown next to Manage access.

3) The folder is owned by someone on the same team as you.

Note: You can't move a folder if you don’t have edit access to the parent folder you’re trying to move your folder into.

How to move files and folders out of the team space

You can move a shared folder out of the team space as long as the following requirements are met:

• The folder doesn't contain nested shared folders within it.
• The folder and folders inside of it aren't set as Invite-only.
• You have edit access to the parent folder.
• You have edit access to the folder.
• The Manage access setting on the folder is set to Team members who can edit.
• The Sharing externally setting is set to On (Anyone).

Note: You can't move a folder if you don’t have edit access to the parent folder you’re trying to move your folder into.

How to copy folders in the team space

Copying a folder in the team space copies the contents of the folder, but doesn't copy the permissions to that folder. If you paste a folder into a part of the team space that you can edit, the folder has the same permissions as its new location.

For example: a small brand team can access the "New logo designs" folder. You copy the "New logo designs" folder and paste it into the "Marketing" folder that your entire team can access. Everyone on your team now can access the copy of "New logo designs" in the "Marketing" folder.