Now, where did you put that file or folder in Dropbox… or is it even on Dropbox at all? If you don't remember the answer to either of these two questions, the Dropbox website has tools that allow you to find what you're looking for.
If you have the Dropbox program installed on your computer, you can do this quicker and easier! Learn how by visiting our Dropbox Search in Windows tutorial (here).
How to search on the Dropbox website
To search for your files and folders on Dropbox by using the Dropbox website, start by going to www.dropbox.com in your web browser and logging in. Then, click in the box that says "Search" in the top-right corner, and then start typing in the name of the file or folder that you're looking for.
As you type, Dropbox will display results that match your search terms, starting with folders, and then listing individual files. Click the "X" next to your search terms to reset them, or click Advanced Search if you need more help in narrowing down what you're looking for.
If you click Advanced Search, a window will pop up with more options for refining your search.
Click in any of the text boxes highlighted here to search for:
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"All of These Words" — The file or folder name must contain all of these search terms (but not necessarily in the order that you typed them in) to count as one of your results.
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"Any of These Words" — If the file or folder name contains any of these search terms, in any order, it will be counted as one of your results.
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"The Exact Phrase" — The file or folder name must contain all of these search terms, in the exact order that you typed them in, to count as one of your results.
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"None of These Words" — If a file or folder name contains any of these search terms, in any order, it will NOT be counted as one of your results.
You can also click the check boxes highlighted here to choose if you want your search results to contain files, folders, and/or even deleted items (this last option is good to try if a basic search doesn't turn up the file or folder that you're looking for).
When everything is set up how you want it, click Search.
That's how you can search for files and folders that you put on Dropbox through the Dropbox website!
Want to make this process a bit simpler? See our Dropbox Search in Windows tutorial for instructions on how to search through Dropbox right from your computer's desktop!
