Using Dropbox Teams Folders
This article covers what Dropbox Teams Folders are, how to obtain one for your department, and the basics of using them.
What is a Dropbox Team Folder?
Dropbox Team Folders allow all content in a folder to be shared with Dropbox group. The Dropbox group could consist of users in a department, task force, committee, project team, or any other type of campus group.
The Team Folder exists in the Dropbox of all group members, so if a user leaves, it does not affect that user's content in the Team Folder. Any content that is put in the Team Folder is automatically shared with all of the group members, unless you specifically set it up to share with only specific members.
Once the Team Folder is set up, the group managers can add or remove members from the Team Folder by adding or removing members from the Dropbox Group associated with the Team Folder.
How is a Team Folder different from a Shared Folder?
A Team Folder is created by the CSUF IT Dropbox admin at the request of a department. Team folders are owned by the department and not a specific individual, so content can be easily synced and shared with all group members even if individuals separate from the department/university. In a team folder, you can choose with whom to share individual files or subfolders within the team folder.
A Shared Folder is a folder owned by an individual user who has granted access to other users. If the owner of a shared folder separates from the department/university, ownership of the folder will need to be changed or the files will need to be transferred to a more accessible location before the individual leaves. In a shared folder, all users with access to the folder are able to see all files and subfolders contained therein.
Team folders offer groups more centralized access and granular control over folder/file permissions than shared folders.
How does a department request a Dropbox Team Folder?
The Department IT Coordinator (DITC) will need to submit a request for a Dropbox Team Folder.
The information that is needed for the request is:
- The name for your Dropbox Team Folder (e.g., 10356 IT Training)
- The user(s) who will manage the Dropbox Team Folder (add/remove access to the folder, be a point of contact for the folder)
- The user(s) who should be granted access to the Dropbox Team Folder (you can add more users later)
What does a Team Folder look like?
Dropbox Team Folder View on Dropbox.com Example
The screenshot below shows the path to a subfolder within a Dropbox Team Folder on Dropbox.com. In this example, there is a Division of IT Team Folder that all employees in Information Technology have access to. Under that folder is the 10356 IT Training Team Folder which is only available to employees in the IT Training department and their manager. The Operational and ATI Scans subfolders are available to all users who have access to the 10356 IT Training Team Folder.
Dropbox Team Folder View on Desktop App Example
The screenshot below shows the same folder as the screenshot above, but viewed on a Windows PC that has the Dropbox desktop app installed. The full file path to the folder is shown; it is the same as on the web but in the image below you can see that the folder is located in the logged in user's folder (Lori Arthur) in their CSU Fullerton Dropbox account folder.
Need More Help?
Contact the IT Help Desk at [email protected] or 657-278-7777.
Additional training materials are available at the CSUF Dropbox for Business webpage.