Child Item

Files aren't set online-only automatically when copying files from an external NAS to my Mac.

Device
MacBook Pro
Operating System/Browser (if using the web)
OS26.2
Dropbox App Version (if using the app)
240.4.8493
Syncing Status
Syncing, but it shouldn't?

Question or Issue
Default syncing preference is set to online-only, because I want to save the files off of my MacBook, to save space. But everything I copy files from a external NAS to the Dropbox, it takes up space on my MacBook, hundreds of GB's...

If this setting is offered, and turned to online-only (it literally says: You set this to online-only so new files will not take up space on your harddrive) then why is is still using all the space on my MacBook?

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Comments

Rich

Graphicsco wrote:
If this setting is offered, and turned to online-only (it literally says: You set this to online-only so new files will not take up space on your harddrive) then why is is still using all the space on my MacBook?

That's not how that setting works. It's for files that sync down to your computer from the cloud, added via the website or other devices. It has no effect for files you add to your local Dropbox folder. Those will always be marked as Available Offline until you mark them as Online-only yourself.

Megan

Hi @Graphicsco, thanks for posting on our Community!

Although Rich has covered this already, from my side, I wanted to share this Help Center article for reference. Just make sure to scroll all the way down, right before the FAQs.

Indeed, you will need to right-click on any files or folders you add locally to the Dropbox folder and select "online-only".

If anything else comes up though, don't hesitate to follow up here.

Graphicsco

So I read somewhere that the only way to get files from NAS to Dropbox without syncing to my MacBook is to use the web browser, correct?

Megan

Hey @Graphicsco!

That'd be correct. You can first upload them to your account using our website, and then allow them to sync to the device locally.

More preferably you should add them inside an online-only folder too.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to let me know.

Rich

Graphicsco wrote:
So I read somewhere that the only way to get files from NAS to Dropbox without syncing to my MacBook is to use the web browser, correct?

Yes, unless it's a commercial NAS (not a DIY) and the OS has support for syncing with Dropbox. Some do, such as QNAP, Synology, etc., though that would be supported by the NAS manufacturer, and not Dropbox.