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How to set up Dropbox sync

Connect a dataset to Dropbox so changes to the selected files update it automatically. Works for CSV, GeoJSON, KML, Shapefile, and TAB datasets.

Connect a dataset to Dropbox so changes to selected files update it automatically. CSV, GeoJSON, KML, Shapefile, and MapInfo TAB datasets support sync; GeoTIFF and WMS datasets do not.

Enterprise and Agency only

Before you start

  • You need Edit access on the dataset. See How dataset access works in MangoMap.
  • The dataset must be one of the supported formats: CSV, GeoJSON, KML, Shapefile, or TAB. GeoTIFF (raster) and WMS datasets don’t have a Sync section.
  • Your subscription must include Dropbox. If it does not, Connect Dropbox opens an upgrade prompt. See How subscription and billing work in MangoMap.
  • The source files need to live in a Dropbox folder you can access with the Dropbox account you’ll connect.
  • For Shapefile and TAB, all sidecar files must be in the same Dropbox folder so you can pick them together.

Open the Sync section

  1. Open the dataset from the data library.
  2. In the dataset’s sidebar, click Configuration.
  3. Pick Sync.

Before you connect Dropbox, the section has one button:

Sync section of the US State Capitals (Dropbox) dataset settings: a Connect to Dropbox card with the text Enable automatic sync by connecting your Dropbox account and a Connect Dropbox button

Connect Dropbox

Click Connect Dropbox. MangoMap redirects you to Dropbox. Sign in if needed and approve access; Dropbox then returns you to this dataset’s settings. The Sync section now shows your Dropbox account and the controls to pick files:

Sync section after Dropbox is connected: the Dropbox account Abraham Ortelius with a Disconnect button, Data format set to CSV, a Select files from Dropbox button, and a Required files list with .csv

If your subscription doesn’t include the Dropbox integration, clicking Connect Dropbox shows an upgrade prompt instead. MangoMap makes the connection after your subscription includes the feature.

Set up sync separately for each dataset you want Dropbox to update.

Pick the data format

Open the Data format dropdown and pick CSV, GeoJSON, KML, Shapefile, or Tab. The default is the dataset’s existing format if it’s one of the five, and Shapefile otherwise.

The format you pick decides which file extensions the Dropbox file chooser will filter for. Picking Shapefile only shows .shp, .dbf, .shx, .prj files; picking CSV only shows .csv.

Select the files in Dropbox

Click Select files from Dropbox. The Dropbox file chooser opens with the right extension filter applied.

For single-file formats:

  • Pick the one file.
  • Confirm in the chooser.

For multipart formats:

  • Pick every file in the set, in any order.
  • Confirm in the chooser.

The chooser closes and the Required files list in the Sync section fills with the file names you picked.

If you select only some of the required files, the section keeps the partial set and shows [N] files are required under the Required files heading. Each missing row shows File missing with a Select button. Click Select or Select files from Dropbox again and pick the whole set.

Sync activates automatically

As soon as every required file is present, MangoMap starts the first sync.

While the first sync runs, the Processing data… dialog stays open. Do not leave the page until it closes. When the sync is done, the dialog closes and MangoMap shows Dataset updated successfully!. If the files cannot be used, the dialog shows Processing failed with the reason. See Dropbox sync failed or stopped working.

After the first sync, the Sync section shows that sync is active, with the synced files and the time of the last update:

Sync section with sync active: the Dropbox account Abraham Ortelius with Update File Location and Disconnect buttons, the alert Sync is active. Your dataset will automatically update when files change., and Synced Files listing us_state_capitals.csv 2.3 KB and Last Updated

Use Update File Location later to pick different files, and Disconnect to stop sync.

What happens going forward

After setup:

  • When a synced file changes in Dropbox, MangoMap updates the dataset within about 10 minutes and runs the same checks as the first sync.
  • The dataset’s URL, group access, name, and other settings stay the same — only the data inside it changes.
  • Maps show the new data the next time they are opened.
  • If the new files fail the checks, the Sync card shows Sync failed: … and the dataset keeps its previous data.
  • The Synced Files panel’s Last Updated field updates with each successful sync.

Switching files later

To sync a different set of files (e.g. a new shapefile in a different Dropbox folder), use Update File Location. See How to change or disconnect Dropbox sync.

Troubleshooting

Connect Dropbox opens an upgrade prompt instead of the OAuth flow. Your subscription doesn’t include the Dropbox integration. See How subscription and billing work in MangoMap.

Dropbox returns you to MangoMap but the section still says Connect to Dropbox. The authorisation did not complete. Click Connect Dropbox and try again.

The Dropbox file chooser doesn’t show the file you want. The chooser filters by the selected Data format’s required extensions. If your file’s extension doesn’t match, change Data format first or rename the file in Dropbox to use the correct extension.

Sync failed: [error message] alert. See Dropbox sync failed or stopped working.

The section doesn’t appear in the dataset’s sidebar. The dataset is GeoTIFF or WMS. Those formats don’t support sync.