# Indexed files within DT not matching what is in DropBox

**URL:** <https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/indexed-files-within-dt-not-matching-what-is-in-dropbox/57531>\
**Category:** DEVONthink\
**Tags:** devonthink3\
**Created:** [July 28, 2020, 1:42pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/indexed-files-within-dt-not-matching-what-is-in-dropbox/57531 "2020-07-28T13:42:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 13\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![tonyjgreen](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@tonyjgreen](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/tonyjgreen)\
**Post date:** [July 28, 2020, 1:42pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/indexed-files-within-dt-not-matching-what-is-in-dropbox/57531/1 "2020-07-28T13:42:15Z")

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Hi. Think I’m not getting the hang of DEVONThink and indexed files ☹

I have 4 folders within DropBox (having moved from iCloud Drive as suggested in another post due to indexing problems) - they are indexed, and seem to sync perfectly well with all my other Macs and iOS devices.

However, when it comes to keeping the DEVONThink database **matching** the content of DropBox files, something goes awry. I delete from within DEVONThink, and that **is** matched within DropBox (i.e the files, folders whatever disappear from DropBox). Do it the other way round and the files are still showing in DEVONThink while not being in DropBox (having been deleted).

The database will update and reflect DropBox contents if I manually update indexed files, but I thought the process was automatic - am I missing something?

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**Author:** ![cgrunenberg](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/cgrunenberg/32/7172_2.png) [@cgrunenberg](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/cgrunenberg)\
**Post date:** [July 28, 2020, 5:05pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/indexed-files-within-dt-not-matching-what-is-in-dropbox/57531/2 "2020-07-28T17:05:05Z")

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> [@tonyjgreen](#):
>
> Do it the other way round and the files are still showing in DEVONThink while not being in DropBox (having been deleted).

That’s a known shortcoming to avoid data loss in case of synchronized databases containing indexed cloud folders as the deletion inside the Dropbox folder could be the result of using the command _Move into database_ on another Mac. If DEVONthink would now remove the files automatically from the database, the synchronization might wipe out the data on both Macs afterwards although that was definitely not intended by the user on the other Mac.

The suggested workaround is to use _File\> Update Indexed Items_ if necessary.

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**Author:** ![tonyjgreen](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@tonyjgreen](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/tonyjgreen)\
**Post date:** [July 28, 2020, 5:36pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/indexed-files-within-dt-not-matching-what-is-in-dropbox/57531/3 "2020-07-28T17:36:37Z")

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Thanks for replying 😃

I noticed there is a script for updating the indexed databases - is there a way I can automate the indexed files updating?

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**Author:** ![tonyjgreen](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@tonyjgreen](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/tonyjgreen)\
**Post date:** [July 28, 2020, 7:27pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/indexed-files-within-dt-not-matching-what-is-in-dropbox/57531/4 "2020-07-28T19:27:42Z")

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Back again…I’ve been digging around old-ish posts here and noticed that “_DEVONthink 3 already automatically updates indexed items_” according to BLUEFROG [here](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/possible-to-automatically-update-indexed-items/56891)

So not sure why it should be necessary to use the _File\>Update Indexed items_?

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**Author:** ![BLUEFROG](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/bluefrog/32/135_2.png) [@BLUEFROG](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/BLUEFROG)\
**Post date:** [July 28, 2020, 7:34pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/indexed-files-within-dt-not-matching-what-is-in-dropbox/57531/5 "2020-07-28T19:34:38Z")

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@cgrunenberg already described the reason why it’s necessary. As he is the CTO and Lead Developer, his word ranks higher.

Also my comment was referring to the OP’s comments about **adding** files to the Dropbox folder, not deleting them.

And note my further comment in the same thread:

> You can still use it as needed but the integration with the Finder is much tighter in DEVONthink 3.

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**Author:** ![tonyjgreen](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@tonyjgreen](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/tonyjgreen)\
**Post date:** [July 28, 2020, 7:41pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/indexed-files-within-dt-not-matching-what-is-in-dropbox/57531/6 "2020-07-28T19:41:12Z")

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Thanks. Didn’t mean to offend anyone! I don’t know the hierarchy 🙁  
Same re ‘cross-posting’ - just trying to understand what I am finding an increasingly useful addition to my daily work.  
As you might guess, rather new-ish to this…re my question about automating with the script that you provide in the Scripts folder-is there a way I can utilise that to automate updating?  
🤓

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**Author:** ![BLUEFROG](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/bluefrog/32/135_2.png) [@BLUEFROG](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/BLUEFROG)\
**Post date:** [July 28, 2020, 8:40pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/indexed-files-within-dt-not-matching-what-is-in-dropbox/57531/7 "2020-07-28T20:40:07Z")

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No worries and no offense! 🙂

Nothing wrong with not knowing things. There are many things I don’t know in this world 😃

Re: _'automatic"_, not out of the box. What script are you referring to?

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**Author:** ![tonyjgreen](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@tonyjgreen](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/tonyjgreen)\
**Post date:** [July 28, 2020, 8:41pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/indexed-files-within-dt-not-matching-what-is-in-dropbox/57531/8 "2020-07-28T20:41:41Z")

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Thanks 😊  
In the Scripts menu, there’s one called something like _update all indexed databases_ (sorry not at the computer currently)…

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**Author:** ![BLUEFROG](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/bluefrog/32/135_2.png) [@BLUEFROG](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/BLUEFROG)\
**Post date:** [July 28, 2020, 9:00pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/indexed-files-within-dt-not-matching-what-is-in-dropbox/57531/9 "2020-07-28T21:00:27Z")

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I don’t know that that one is available now.  
I’d have to poke around a bit.

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**Author:** ![cgrunenberg](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/cgrunenberg/32/7172_2.png) [@cgrunenberg](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/cgrunenberg)\
**Post date:** [July 29, 2020, 7:46am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/indexed-files-within-dt-not-matching-what-is-in-dropbox/57531/10 "2020-07-29T07:46:21Z")

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> [@tonyjgreen](#):
>
> Back again…I’ve been digging around old-ish posts here and noticed that “ _DEVONthink 3 already automatically updates indexed items_ ” according to BLUEFROG [here](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/possible-to-automatically-update-indexed-items/56891)

And this is still true as long as the volume supports filesystem events (e.g. network volumes do not or not always reliably) and as long as it’s not a cloud folder.

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**Author:** ![tonyjgreen](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@tonyjgreen](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/tonyjgreen)\
**Post date:** [July 29, 2020, 7:50am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/indexed-files-within-dt-not-matching-what-is-in-dropbox/57531/11 "2020-07-29T07:50:34Z")

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Thanks for that 👍 So a DropBox folder on a local volume is treated as a cloud folder because of its nature?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cgrunenberg](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/cgrunenberg/32/7172_2.png) [@cgrunenberg](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/cgrunenberg)\
**Post date:** [July 29, 2020, 7:55am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/indexed-files-within-dt-not-matching-what-is-in-dropbox/57531/12 "2020-07-29T07:55:19Z")

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> [@tonyjgreen](#):
>
> So a DropBox folder on a local volume is treated as a cloud folder because of its nature?

That’s correct. And it’s up to the cloud service/app to synchronize the files/folders (e.g. inside the Dropbox folder) to other computers/devices. DEVONthink’s own synchronization transfers only the metadata in this case between Macs. Otherwise the cloud services/apps would get confused about externally added/updated items and create lots of unnecessary duplicates.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tonyjgreen](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@tonyjgreen](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/tonyjgreen)\
**Post date:** [July 29, 2020, 8:33am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/indexed-files-within-dt-not-matching-what-is-in-dropbox/57531/13 "2020-07-29T08:33:11Z")

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Okay thanks.