How to search and explore your content in Dropbox Dash

Updated Apr 25, 2025
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This article describes features available to all Dropbox Dash customers.

The powerful search functionality of Dropbox Dash allows you to search across all of your added apps with speed and precision. You can use Dash to find what you need, summarize content, and answer specific questions about files you have access to.

 

You can search and explore your content with Dropbox Dash in the following areas:

 

  • In the center of the page on dash.ai
  • At the top of the window on the Dash desktop app
  • At the top of the screen in the Dash mobile app

How to search and explore your content with Dropbox Dash

 

You can quickly and easily find and create content from apps you or your admin have added to Dash.

 

Click one of options below the search bar before entering your query to use that feature:

  •  Find: Search for files and content from apps you or your admin have added to Dash.
  • Ask: Ask a question about content from apps you or your admin have added to Dash.
  •  Write: Draft new content based on existing files, templates, and tone.
  • Organize: Create a new stack.
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Note: You can only use the search bar to search content on the Dash desktop app and the Dash mobile app. Ask, Write, and Organize are only available on dash.ai.

To find content in Dropbox Dash:

 

  1. Log in to dash.ai.
  2. Click  Find below the search bar.
  3. Enter your query in the search bar.
    • Note: Dash uses text from titles, content, and your recent interactions to quickly rank relevant results for you while you type. Select a suggestion or enter your full query.
  4. You can also use typeahead filtering to refine your search, if you’d like:
    • from: to find files or messages from a specific person
    • in: to search within a particular app
    • time: to filter by date
    • type: to search by file type (such as documents, spreadsheets, emails)
  5. Press enter on your keyboard to return a full list of search results.
  6. Click the filters at the top of the search results page to filter by App, Type, Updated, or People, if you’d like.
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Tips:

  • If you have the Dropbox Dash browser extension installed, you can also search by entering “ds” and the space key directly into the address bar on Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge. “Dropbox Dash |” will appear, and you can start entering your query.
  • Admins can set files as verified results, indicated by a verified (verification checkmark), meaning those files have been reviewed and confirmed as the most relevant and up-to-date resource for specific search terms. Learn more about verified results.

Searching for video, image, and design files

 

You can also use the searchFind feature under the search bar to find videos and images that you or your admins have added to Dash.

 

To do so:

 

  1. Log in to dash.ai.
  2. Click Find below the search bar.
  3. Enter your query in the search bar.
    • Note: You can search for video, image, and design files by title, folder and file path, and EXIF data (location, date taken, resolution, and camera model), where applicable.
  4. You can also use typeahead filtering to refine your search, if you’d like:
    • from: to find files or messages from a specific person
    • in: to search within a particular app
    • time: to filter by date
    • type: to search by file type (such as documents, spreadsheets, emails)

  5. Press enter on your keyboard to return a full list of search results.
  6. Click the filters at the top of the search results page to filter by App, Type, Updated, or People, if you’d like.

 

You’ll see previews of videos and images that match your query, and can enlarge that preview by clicking the thumbnail.

 

The following file types are supported when searching for multimedia:

 

  • Image files: .gif, .heic, .jpg, .png, .svg, .tiff, .webp
  • Video files: .3gp, .3gp2, .3gpp, .asf, .asx, .axv, .avi, .dif, .dl, .dv, .fli, .flv, .gl, .m2t, .m4v, .mkv, .mov, .movie, .mpe, .mp4, .mpg, .mpv, .mts, .mxu, .ogv, .qt, .ts, .vob, .webm, .wm, .wmv, .wmx, .wvx
  • Design files: .aep, .ai, .indd, .psd, .prproj, Canva files

 

Dash can retrieve multimedia search results stored on Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, and Canva, as long as these apps have been added to your Dash account.  

The Ask feature provides context-rich answers to your questions based on information in the content you or your admins have added to Dash. For example, you can find key takeaways from a presentation, next steps for a project, or common trends in customer feedback.

 

To ask a question:

 

  1. Log in to dash.ai.
  2. Click Ask below the search bar.
  3. Enter your question in the search bar and press enter on your keyboard.
    • You can also select one of the questions under Suggested.

 

You’ll be taken to a new page where you can ask select a question under Follow-up or ask your own questions in the Chat with sources… box. Learn more about chatting with Dash.

The Write feature allows you to quickly draft new content, using pre-defined tones and formats, and with reference to the content that you or your admins have added to Dash. 

 

Here are some examples of content you can create using this feature:

 

  • Client follow-up emails using existing documents as reference
  • Financial summaries drawn from existing reports
  • Project proposals based on various project plans
  • Action item lists contained within meeting notes

 

To draft new content with Dash:

 

  1. Log in to dash.ai.
  2. Click  Write below the search bar.
  3. Enter your prompt in the search bar and press enter on your keyboard.

 

You’ll be taken to a new page where you can view and edit your generated content. From here, you can make changes to the wording, tone, and structure of your content. 

 

Learn more about drafting content with Dash.

You can use the search bar to quickly create a new stack to organize your content. To do so:

 

  1. Log in to dash.ai.
  2. Click Organize below the search bar.
  3. Enter the name of your new stack and press enter on your keyboard.

 

Your new stack can be found in the stack Stacks page in the left sidebar.

 

Learn more about working with stacks.

How to summarize and ask questions about your content

 

Dash can summarize content you or your admins have added. 

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Note: You can only summarize and ask questions about text-based files. Learn more about supported file types in Dropbox Dash.

To summarize and ask questions about your content:

 

  1. Log in to dash.ai.
  2. Click  Find in the search bar.
  3. Enter a search query and press enter on your keyboard.
  4. Locate the file you’d like to summarize in the search results.
  5. Click  (Summarize and ask) next to the file name.

You’ll be taken to a new page where you can ask Dash questions to get more details about your selected file by clicking on one of the Follow-up questions, or by entering your own question in the Chat with sources… box. Dash will use information from the file to answer the question.

To summarize and ask questions about your content: 

 

  1. Open the Dash desktop app by pressing control-e (Windows) or command-e (macOS) on your keyboard.
  2. Click  Search your content. 
  3. Enter a search query and press enter on your keyboard.
  4. Locate the file you’d like to summarize in the search results.
  5. Click  Summarize and ask next to the file name.

 

The summary of your file will expand in a panel on the right. You can ask Dash questions to get more details about your selected file by clicking on one of the Related questions underneath the summary, or by clicking Ask new question. Dash will use information from the file to answer the question.

To summarize and ask questions about your content:

 

  1. Open the Dash mobile app.
  2. Tap  Search your content at the bottom of your screen.
  3. Enter a search query and tap the search icon (Android) or search (iOS).
  4. Tap  (twinkle) next to the file you’d like to summarize.

The summary of your file will appear as a pop up titled Summarize & ask. You can ask Dash questions to get more details about your selected file by tapping one of the Related questions below the summary or by entering a question in the text box labelled Ask something about this file and tapping  (send).

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