How to use Dropbox AI

Dropbox AI uses generative AI to enhance how you interact with your files in Dropbox, helping you save time and manage content more efficiently. Instead of manually searching through folders or skimming long documents, Dropbox AI streamlines the process by finding answers, summarizing content, and highlighting key details.

With Dropbox AI, you can:

• Summarize documents and videos instantly: Get quick, easy-to-read summaries of lengthy PDFs, reports, and videos, so you can grasp the key points without reviewing everything.
• Search smarter: Instead of digging through folders, simply ask Dropbox AI a question in the search bar, and it will locate the right files or extract the most relevant details for you.
• Navigate your content more efficiently: View AI-generated highlights in your search results, helping you find the right file faster without opening multiple documents.

How to enable or disable Dropbox AI

1. Log in to dropbox.com with your admin credentials. 
2. Click Admin console. 
3. Click Settings in the left sidebar.
4. In the Features section, click Enroll next to Dropbox AI.
5. Click Get early access.

How to use Dropbox AI in a file preview

You can use Dropbox AI in a file preview for the following files: text-based, audio, or video files. To use this feature with a file that someone has shared with you, you’ll need to add it to your Dropbox account.
 

To use Dropbox AI in a file preview:

1. Log in to dropbox.com.
2. Click the name of a file to open a preview.
   • The file must be compatible with Dropbox AI.
3. Click Summarize & Ask. 
4. Type your question in the Ask about this file field.
5. Press enter.

How to use Dropbox AI for search

With Dropbox AI for search, you can ask natural-language questions about your files, and AI will scan your content to provide relevant answers. Instead of manually opening documents or scrolling through files, simply type a question in the search bar, and Dropbox AI can retrieve the most relevant information from your files.

To ask a question in the search bar:

1. Log in to dropbox.com.
2. Click the search bar at the top of the page.
3. Type a question or command related to your files. For example: 
   • “What are my Q2 financial projects?”
   • “Find my most recent marketing report.”
   • “Summarize my meeting notes from last week.”
4. Click Search. 
   
   

Dropbox AI will analyze the text within your files and return an answer, along with links to the relevant documents.

Best practices for using Dropbox AI for search

Here are a few things to keep in mind when searching:

• Be specific with your questions to get the most accurate results. 
  • For example,“What are the key takeaways from my project proposal dated January 15?”
• Use clear, natural language as if you were asking a person.
  • For example, “Summarize the main points from my latest client meeting notes.”
• Use keywords and commands like, “Find,” “Summarize,” or “Show me.”
  • For example,““Find my tax documents from 2023.”
• Start your questions with “Who…”, “What…”, “Where…” or “How…” and always end with a question mark (?).
  • For example, “What are my company’s goals for Q2?”

What types of files work with Dropbox AI search and previews

You can use Dropbox AI for file previews and searches with the following file types:

• Microsoft Office documents (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• eBooks
• Video and audio files that contain speech or voice
  • Note: Dropbox generates a transcript for video and audio files if one doesn’t already exist, but it may take a while to generate a transcript before you can ask questions about your file. The answers to questions about video or audio files will be based on the file’s transcript. 
• Raw text files (TXT, CSV, etc.)
• PDFs with selectable text