Get started with Dropbox and Claude

You’re handing over a project to a teammate. The project plan, meeting notes, and other important information are already stored in Dropbox, but the details they need are spread across different files.

With Dropbox connected to Claude, you can find the files you need, bring information together from those files, and save new text-based work back to Dropbox.

In this guide, you’ll use a project plan and meeting notes to create a handoff summary for a teammate. You’ll check the summary against the source files, then save it with the rest of your project content in Dropbox.

What you can do with Dropbox in Claude

When Dropbox is connected to Claude, you can find your Dropbox content and use it as context for the task you’re working on. You can also save new text-based work created in Claude back to Dropbox.

For example, you can:

• Find the right information: Search Dropbox for relevant files and preview them before using their content.

• Bring information together: Use related Dropbox files to summarize information, compare details, or identify what matters across different sources.

• Create new work: Use your Dropbox content to create a summary, draft, or other useful output.

• Save your work to Dropbox: Save supported text-based work created in Claude back to Dropbox so it stays with the rest of your project content.

Connect Dropbox to Claude

Before you can find and use Dropbox content in Claude, connect your Dropbox account.

To get started, you’ll need:

• A Dropbox account.

• A Claude account.

• Permission to access the Dropbox files you want to use.

• Access to the Dropbox connector in Claude.

Note: If you use a managed Claude workspace or Dropbox team account, your admin may control access to the Dropbox connector.

This guide covers the Dropbox connector in claude.ai. Claude Cowork and Claude Code support different Dropbox workflows and aren’t covered here.

Connect your account

To connect your account:

1. Log in to claude.ai.

2. Select Add in the search bar.

3. Select Add connectors.

4. Select Add next to Dropbox.

5. Sign in to your Dropbox account.

6. Review the requested permissions.

7. Select Continue.

Note: You only need to connect Dropbox once. If you’ve already connected it, you can continue to the next section.

Your files and permissions

When you connect Dropbox to Claude, Claude can access the Dropbox content you already have permission to access. If you’re part of a Dropbox team, this doesn’t give you access to other team content that hasn’t been shared with you.

Your existing Dropbox sharing settings, team policies, and admin controls still apply. If you use a work account, follow your organization’s policies for using work content with AI tools.

Work habit

Choose your sources intentionally. Bring in only the Dropbox content that’s relevant to the task you’re working on, and check that it’s appropriate to use before asking Claude to work with it.

Find the Dropbox files you need

When you’re handing over a project, the information your teammate needs may be spread across different files. With the Dropbox connector, you can ask Claude to find relevant content in Dropbox before you start creating your handoff summary.

Find your project files

In our project handoff scenario, the project plan and latest meeting notes contain important information about the work completed so far and what needs to happen next.

You can ask Claude to find these files in Dropbox.

Copy and adapt this prompt:

Find the current [project name] plan and the latest meeting notes in my Dropbox.

Show me the most relevant files before you use them.

Replace the bracketed text with details from your own project.

If Claude finds several possible files, add more detail to your request. You can include the project name, folder, file type, or approximate date to help narrow the results.

Preview your source files

Before you continue, preview the files Claude finds to make sure they’re the sources you want to use.

Check that:

• They belong to the correct project.

• You’re working from the versions you need.

• They contain the information needed for the handoff.

If Claude finds the wrong content, refine your request with more details and search again.

Work habit

Give Claude clues when you know them. Including details such as a project name, folder, file type, or approximate date can help narrow your search when several Dropbox files are similar.

Create a project handoff summary

Once you’ve found the right Dropbox files, Claude can use their content together to help you create a handoff summary. A clear prompt can help you focus the summary on what your teammate needs to continue the project.

Bring the project information together

In our scenario, the project plan and meeting notes provide context about the work completed so far, important decisions, and what still needs attention.

Copy and adapt this prompt:

Create a handoff summary for the teammate taking over the project, using only the Dropbox files selected for this project.

Include:
1. The project goal.
2. Work completed so far.
3. Key decisions.
4. Open questions.
5. Named owners.
6. Next steps and important dates.

Clearly identify anything that is missing or where the source files disagree. Do not guess.

Why this prompt works

A useful prompt gives Claude clear guidance about what you need and how it should use your sources.

• Goal: What you want to accomplish.

• Context: Which information Claude should work from.

• Output: What the response should include and how it should be organized.

• Boundaries: What Claude should identify, preserve, or avoid when creating the response.

Refine the handoff summary

Once Claude creates the first version, you can adjust the handoff based on what your teammate needs to take over the project.

For example, you can ask Claude to:

• Put the next steps and their owners first.

• Separate completed work from work still in progress.

• Group the open questions by topic.

• Highlight anything the new project owner needs to follow up on.

• Keep the handoff summary to one page.

You can continue asking for changes in the same conversation while Claude works from the Dropbox files you selected.

Work habit

When your source files disagree, ask Claude to highlight the differences rather than choosing which information is correct.

Check your handoff for accuracy

Before you save or share your handoff summary, check the important information against the original Dropbox files.

Check the important details

Review the project plan and meeting notes alongside the handoff summary.

Check that:

• Project goals, names, dates, and owners match the source files.

• Completed work and next steps are represented accurately.

• Decisions are supported by the source files.

• Open questions aren’t presented as confirmed information.

• Missing or conflicting information is clearly identified.

If something doesn’t match, ask Claude to check the summary again.

Copy and adapt this prompt:

Check this project handoff summary against the Dropbox files used to create it.

Check that:

1. Names, dates, and owners match the source files.
2. Completed work, decisions, and next steps are supported by the sources.
3. Open questions aren’t presented as confirmed information.
4. Missing or conflicting information is clearly identified.

Correct anything that doesn’t match the sources and remove information that isn’t supported by them. Do not guess or resolve conflicting information unless the sources make the answer clear.

This prompt asks Claude to return to the original Dropbox sources, check the important details, and correct anything that isn’t supported.

Work habit

Check the details that could affect the handoff. Pay particular attention to owners, dates, decisions, and next steps so the person taking over has accurate information to work from.

Save your handoff summary to Dropbox

Once you’ve checked your handoff summary, save it as a new file in Dropbox. This keeps the finished handoff with the project content your teammate will need as they take over.

Save the summary

1. Ask Claude to save the handoff summary to a specific Dropbox folder.

2. Include the file name and text format you want to use.

3. Review the proposed file name and location.

4. Confirm the action if Claude asks you to.

5. Open the saved file in Dropbox and check its content, name, and location.

Copy and adapt this prompt:

Save this project handoff summary as [project name] handoff.md in the [folder name] folder in Dropbox.

Saving the handoff creates a new file in Dropbox. It doesn’t replace the project files you used as sources.

Note: Claude can save text-based files to Dropbox. This example uses a Markdown (.md) file. Claude can’t save generated images or PDFs directly to Dropbox.

Work habit

Keep the handoff with the project. Save it in the folder where your team keeps the related project content, and follow your team’s naming conventions so it’s easy for the next person to find.

Try it yourself

Now it’s your turn. Use what you’ve learned with Dropbox content from one of your own projects.

Choose a task

Think about something useful you need to create from information you already keep in Dropbox.

For example, you could:

• Create a decision log from meeting notes and project documentation.

• Prepare a client update from a brief and recent feedback.

• Create a status update by bringing together progress, risks, and next steps.

• Summarize changes between two versions of a document.

Adjust the prompt for your task

Tell Claude what you want to create, who it’s for, and what information matters.

Copy and adapt this prompt:
Using only the Dropbox files selected for this task, create a [type of content] for [audience or purpose].

Include:
1. [Information you need].
2. [Information you need].
3. [Information you need].

Clearly identify anything that is missing or where the source files disagree. Do not guess.

Replace the bracketed text with details from your own task.

Check before you use it

Review the result against the original Dropbox files. Check that important details are supported by the right source and that missing or conflicting information is represented accurately.

Once you’re happy with the result, save the finished work to the relevant Dropbox folder so it stays with the project content it came from.

Work habit

Start with the outcome. Think about what the finished work needs to include, then select the Dropbox files that contain that information.

Keep your work connected

By using Dropbox content in Claude, you can move from finding the information you need to creating useful new work without downloading and uploading files between tools.

Whether you’re creating a handoff summary, preparing a client update, or bringing project information together, you can work from your Dropbox sources, check the result against the original files, and save the finished work back to Dropbox for your team to continue using.