Spotlight search problem with Dropbox ...

In the Spotlight settings, I have excluded the Dropbox folder (~/Library/CloudStorage/Dropbox) and I still get Dropbox results in the searches.


Any clues to this problem ?

iMac 27″

Posted on Jan 11, 2023 6:37 AM

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Posted on Apr 4, 2023 10:10 AM

Thanks to everyone for this thread, it did help me sort out what was happening for me! I'm just going to go through it in a bit more detail in case that helps someone else.


During the transition to the new Ventura Dropbox, the files get moved from ~/Dropbox to ~/Library/CloudStorage/Dropbox. Dropbox then creates an alias (aka a shortcut aka symbolic link) to the new Dropbox folder and plops it where the old folder used to be (~/Dropbox).


This shortcut means there are two routes for Dropbox to be searched! I had luck with deleting the alias and adding the items again to Spotlight privacy. It might also be possible to add the alternate alias route to Spotlight Privacy instead.


Hope this helps someone!

6 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Apr 4, 2023 10:10 AM in response to rlesperance

Thanks to everyone for this thread, it did help me sort out what was happening for me! I'm just going to go through it in a bit more detail in case that helps someone else.


During the transition to the new Ventura Dropbox, the files get moved from ~/Dropbox to ~/Library/CloudStorage/Dropbox. Dropbox then creates an alias (aka a shortcut aka symbolic link) to the new Dropbox folder and plops it where the old folder used to be (~/Dropbox).


This shortcut means there are two routes for Dropbox to be searched! I had luck with deleting the alias and adding the items again to Spotlight privacy. It might also be possible to add the alternate alias route to Spotlight Privacy instead.


Hope this helps someone!

Mar 4, 2023 8:36 PM in response to jpliu

I see that nobody has given you an answer, so I'll give it a try. There are two kinds of links on a Mac. There is the "alias," which is a feature of the Mac system. And then there is a "symbolic link," which I believe is a feature of the underlying Unix. Aliases are more flexible, and symbolic links are more robust. When he said "symbolic alias," I'm assuming that he meant "symbolic link."


I have also had the problem of Siri not being able to find my Dropbox folder now that it has been moved to /Library/CloudStorage. I am trying deleting the Dropbox alias/symbolic link (whichever it was) to see if that fixes the problem. Too soon to know.

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Spotlight search problem with Dropbox ...

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