Understand source paths in Dropbox Protect

Admins Updated May 20, 2026

In this article

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The information in this article applies to Dropbox Protect admins.

The Source item detail in Dropbox Protect shows the source path, an item’s folder hierarchy up to the top-level folder, along with its originating app: Dropbox, Google Drive, or Microsoft 365. The source path provides additional context about item ownership to help Protect users make informed decisions about how to fix an item. You can also use Source as a filter to narrow your search to a specific location.

Learn more about using filters.

For most items, the path displays the full and correct source location of the item. However, because source paths depend on metadata from connected apps, some limitations and connector-specific behaviors are expected.

Where are source paths available

Source paths are available for the following connectors and item locations:

Connector Supported locations
Dropbox Team folder and Member folder items
Google Drive Shared Drives and My Drive items
Microsoft SharePoint and OneDrive items
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Note: Google limits the source path to 100 folders.

How to view the source path

You can view the source path from the item table, item drawer, and item details page. Selecting the three-dot menu in the folder path section opens the full source path for the item.

Things to keep in mind when viewing the source path:

  • Path updates can take time to appear after item detail changes.
  • The folder path shows the item’s known source location. It‘s not intended to be used for navigation.
  • For items in user-drive locations, the path follows the item owner.
    • If ownership changes, the folder path should update after the connector syncs the updated source metadata.

Known limitations

Issue Explanation Fix

Externally owned items may show a partial path

You may see partial or incomplete paths for externally owned items. The path may start from the highest folder or item that the connector can access, instead of showing the full path from the external owner’s source system.

This is expected behavior and doesn’t mean the path is broken.

Source path may show “Unavailable”

The source path might show Unavailable while path metadata is syncing. This can happen when a new app is connected or an item was changed.

Wait for the metadata to update and try again later. This should update within a few hours, depending on the connected app.

/ can have different meanings

  • The item is the end of a supported source location.
  • The item is externally owned and no higher-level external folder structure is available.
  • For Dropbox, the item may be archived, or no longer connected to its original parent.

This is expected behavior.

Empty folder names may appear in paths

When there isn’t enough access to the metadata, you may see a folder icon without a name because a folder or drive is detected, but can’t retrieve its details.

It can also happen temporarily after the connector disconnects, reconnects, or sync delays.

This is expected behavior, but it can change depending on the metadata sync or access updates in the source app.

Dropbox deleted items may still appear

In Dropbox, if an item is deleted and a user still has a direct link and access, the item may show with its original folder path.

For example, deleted folders inside Dropbox Team Folders may still be visible until they are permanently deleted in Dropbox.

In Dropbox, deleted content can be reviewed from:

Admin Console > Content > Show deleted content

Dropbox member folder

- TMR items

 

In source paths for Dropbox items you may see a - TMR suffix. This is Dropbox-created container that shows the member folder structure . It would look like this:

Jane Doe - TMR

jane@company.com - TMR

If you see the regular member folder and the - TMR item, treat the regular member folder as the primary user location.

Dropbox item shows as its own root

If the Dropbox item shows as its own root in the path, the item may be detached from its original location, making it difficult to locate.

This is expected behavior.

Icons in paths may not always match other UI icons

Icons shown in source paths may be different than when you see them in other areas of Protect, but the path is still correct.

For example, the source path may show a folder-style icon for items like drives, SharePoint sites, shared drives, team folders, user drives, or root locations when they look different on the Items page. 

This is expected behavior.

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