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Advanced search based on key phrases

I seriously need advanced searching.

Dropbox used to have these features (like search exact phrase) in 2015, but somehow removed them.

So how can I do advanced searching in dropbox?
Like:

List files with age between x and y
Contain the phrase "a b c"
are of type *.pdf

...

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rhut

Hi Dropbox community! I'm a product manager at Dropbox working on the search experience on dropbox.com.

We took your feedback to heart and are happy to announce that we're adding a few new operators to help you retrieve your files/folders more quickly:

title:(new lead) => See results with only the specific words in title of the file
title:"new lead" => See results with exact phrase match in title of the file. Note that quotes only work with title searches and can't be used to match on content
type:image => Filter results by a certain types like image, video, document, spreadsheet, etc.
type:jpg => Filter results by a certain types like file extension like jpg, png, docx, etc.
before:2022-01-01 => Allows you to see all content before a certain date. Uses YYYY-MM-DD format.
after:2022-01-01 => Allows you to see all content after a certain date. Uses YYYY-MM-DD format.
lead AND new => AND operators will show results that contain both words.
lead OR new => OR operators will show results that contain either words.

To use these operators, login to Dropbox.com, click on the searchbox at the top, and start typing your query. You can learn more about our operators on our help center article here: https://help.dropbox.com/view-edit/search

Note that there are some limitations:

- This feature is Web only (for now)

- Searches may return inaccurate results for contents of a file, certain images, and Paper docs if you're using the old release of Dropbox Paper.

- Quotes will only work on file titles, not matches on content (for now)

Try it out and let us know what you think!

Thanks for your patience as we ship new features to improve your overall Dropbox experience!

Rhut

All comments

rthrech

To give you a very simple example: I'd like to search for documents that contain the date "13.10.2020". The normal search returns all documents that have 13, or 10 or 2020 either in the document text or the filenames. Can you imagine how useless this is if you have many documents?

Hannah

Hey @rthrech, thanks for posting on our Community.

We do offer a feature called full-text search, which allows you to search files by name, extension (file type) or keyword within the file.

If you're on a paid account, you should have access to it and you can read more about it here.

If it's not working as expected, can you please try using a different browser or an incognito window?

If you'd like to have a search function that is not available, you can post about it on our idea board.

Let me know if you have any questions.

rthrech

Hi Hannah,

I do have a paid (business) account.

I know about your full-text search, but as I tried to explain: It is pretty much useless if you have many documents.

This issue is NOT related to the browser.

1. I search for the date "20.03.2021"

2. I expect to get results that have the phrase "20.03.2021" either in the filename, or document contents

3. What I get is ALL files that have either 20, or 03, or 2021 in their filename or contents.

(4. even worse: the documents that have the exact phrase, do not even get a high priority in the matches)

Walter

Hey @rthrech, sorry to be jumping in here.

Could you please clarify for how long have you been seeing this behavior and if it happens with other search terms as well?

If you'd like to, I'd be more than happy to send you an email to have a better look internally.

rthrech

The problem exists since you removed the "Advanced Search" feature in 2015!

There are many people complaining about the search

It seems like the logic is

1. Split the user's input at any non-alphanumeric character
2. search for each result individually and return all results merged

you need another example:

search for: b1.pdf

I get every match for "b1" OR "pdf"

willsacks

I have the exact same issue. I'm trying to find a document with "01.03.2019" in the title and the search returns every document with a 01, a 03 or a 2019 making it completely useless.

This morning I need to find a file with "3-Audio" in the title. I search for "3-Audio" and receive a list of files with 3 in the file name and not the file I need.

This is a MAJOR problem. I'm a paid user and use dropbox to run my music studio. We have thousands of music files and often I need to find the right one and currently I can't.

daniel elbo arama

That is so true! I need it the exact same way. The only solution I have for you - connect to your Dropbox through your laptop and when inside your folders sort them as you like or search them. Thats the best you can. You should also suggest that to Dropbox team in the ideas section! I am supporting! 😊

LimpingPilgrim

Does anyone know a way to use WIndows search that does NOT require copying all files to the hard drive?

I am another plus user mystified by poor searching online. Please allow advanced searching again! -- Lee

plabuz

The current search engine is crap, and Dropbox knows it. The decision to remove the former advance search function was a business one. This probably cost them too much CPU credits. I cannot install Dropbox on my computer because it is not in line with my client's policy when I am working for them. Thus, I can only use it through the browser.

To conclude, this is my last month of using the paid version.

rjsbtg

I have the exact same problem and it is become frustrating enough that I am consider moving our company to another provider.

bmabax

It's insane that there's no advanced search anymore. I found a blog post where the "search team" brags that the new engine improved index time! Here are some ideas for improvement: don't index anything, return all documents for all searches. Index time drops to zero. Index size also drops to zero. Number of documents returned for each search shots through the roof. Everybody's happy! Except users of course, but who cares about those?

FrankGaz

Just replying to hopefully bump this.

The search features are completely useless. No exact phrases. No excluding certain terms. No logical operators. Nothing. Dropbox search is horrible. It needs to be fixed.

Jay

Hi @FrankGaz, if you're interested, you can comment and vote on this idea in the forum for boolean operators in the search bar.

Nerf Nordlinger

I might as well add my voice to this. I have the exact same problem. I'm looking for a file with the name, "Information_Protection_Program_2020.docx." There is only 1 file with that name, but the search returns every file with the words "information," "protection," "program," or "2020" in the name. The search function is terrible.

willsacks

Dropbox team, can you please respond to this issue?

Nancy

Hey @willsacks, I hope you’re doing great.

This has already been recorded as feedback with our developers.

However, if you haven’t done so already, I’d also encourage you to vote for the idea that @Jay listed above, since this will increase the chances of having this implemented in the future.

rthrech

Nancy, the "Idea" is not really what this discussion is about.
All we want is a proper "state of the art" search feature. Do we really have to start voting for this?

You shouldn't need your customers and wait until they vote for any "idea" to implement a proper search engine.
That's like saying "He... let's fu%/& up our search, and keep it like that until enough customers complain and vote for reverting this decision". Is this how you make your design decisions? Don't take me wrong: I like your "Ideas" section, but it should not hold you back from making your own sensible product decisions.

FrankGaz

Nancy makes a very good point.

Dropbox promotes their "full text search" but it's a dishonest bait and switch. Dropbox is trying to sell their product by promoting their "full text search" feature while knowing that it isn't useful -- and it's especially not useful for the audience they're targeting: people who need to store / sync / work with a large number of files. What's even worse is that they used to have advanced search features and removed them. I'm going to start looking for an alternative service. I don't want to support a company that is dishonest and intentionally makes their service worse for the people who pay for it. I encourage everyone else to do the same.

thibautbenkei

Hey, hello Dropbox!

It's 2022, not 1998!

Don't tell us that "having boolean operators" for search might sound like a good idea... We are tech-savvy paying customers, not grandmas sharing pics from their grandchildren.

If you're not able to provide such functionalities because your search engine is too crappy, or because you are too cheap to afford for CPU resources, please let us know.

In the meantime, could you please, at least, implement booleans in file names? I don't think it might be too difficult, as I was able to do so on Windows 95 in 1998 with a PC having the computing power of a 2022 washing machine.

Thanks!

Luke Zero

Adding my voice to this. I'm a paid subscriber, use dropbox all the time, and the lack of search functionality is ridiculous.

oversampled

Yep. Peeved about this. Let me search by extension. I want to find every file with a given extension in the Deleted Items area. I could do what I'm trying to do in ten seconds if I could type ".[file extension]" into the search bar and find every instance. Fix it please, don't make us vote!

dashbrook1

Adding my annoyance at this, since it is such a simple thing to implement that would make dropbox hugely more useful. My company are trying to push us towards OneDrive / SharePoint, and this is pushing me towards making the effort of transitioning.

j0e

Adding my voice to this one. Super frustrating.

j4m1eb

adding to this - search is pathetic at the moment

LeslieL

We have a paid Dropbox for Business account and I've tried the options listed to perform a specific search and it's not working properly. I need to find a specific phrase contained inside the documents and when I perform the phrase search, every word within the phrase comes up in the search which is totally useless. I need to be able to perform a search for a very specific phrase, and the phrase must be exactly as searched.

Please help.....

LeslieL

DITTO. Same problem here. This is a huge problem for us.

LeslieL

Its 2023 now ----- Where is the resolution to advanced searching?

j4m1eb

Simple Boolean search is all that is needed, it's totally ridiculous.

trying to find "registered office" in my files and get results for "office" registered" and even "register" - Useless

SearchIsWorthless

I don't even want "advanced" search or booleans - I just want search! Today I searched for "died". I got every file that has the text "di" in it. E.g. thousands of files. Completely worthless.

thibautbenkei

Is it possible to have feedback on this issue? You should be ashamed of your search engine.

Come on, a simple search feature on file names with booleans operators. That's the minimum you can do.
I'm sure Chatgpt can write you a code in a minute for that !