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Forum Discussion
Why do shared files count against my space use???
Why are files shared with me counted against my space usage? Is this data counted twice? If someone who is sharing files with me is paying for this space, why should I have to pay as well just to acc...
dualice wrote:
Why are files shared with me counted against my space usage?
Because the files exist in your account.
When you have access to a shared folder, you're not accessing someone else's folder. You're accessing your own COPY of the folder within your account, and you need to have enough space available to hold that folder.
If you just need to view or download files that someone else is sharing with you, ask them to send you a shared link instead. A shared link is a view-only method of sharing and you don't even need a Dropbox account to access it.
I want to share a large folder temporarily with a contractor, in order for her to do a trial project for us. She states she cannot access the shared folder due to storage. I am not familiar enough with Dropbox's storage use to know if this is an issue when she goes to open online or if she can free up her storage on her synced desktop and thus allow this shared folder to be opened. Perhaps it doesn't matter - if the folder causes her storage to exceed online and has nothing to do with her storage on her computer?
- Hannah
Dropbox Staff
Hi again, Rebecca16!
Indeed, a shared folder will take up space in the accounts of all the members, when the folder is shared with edit permissions.
Do you need this person to have edit access to the folder or just view and/or download it to their computer?
Just view/download I believe. But also capability to save new items to the folder.
- Hannah
Thanks for the update, Rebecca!
To be able to save files to the folder, they'd need to have edit permissions, however, you can use the workaround of a file request.
And in order to give them access to the folder, you can use a "can view" link instead.
That way, their Dropbox space won't be affected at all.
I hope this helps!
