Dropbox Dash admin onboarding guide

Overview

Dropbox Dash combines AI universal search and organization with universal content access control. With integrations across platforms like Google Drive, Asana, and Microsoft 365, Dash reduces the need to switch between apps and provides AI-generated answers to your team’s questions.

This guide helps you set up and manage Dash for your team. You’ll learn how to configure apps, manage members, and adjust Dash settings to ensure your team can fully leverage the power of Dash.

Add apps in Dash

There are two types of apps in Dash:

• Apps added by admins: Admins can add shared apps—such as Google Drive, Microsoft 365, and Dropbox—making them accessible to all Dash users across the organization. These apps are centrally managed, ensuring consistent access and control.

• Apps added by members: Members can add apps to search and access their own content.

After you add an app, it displays in the Your apps tab. Click the gear icon to see how many members have added the app.

Note: After adding an app, you can monitor its status, and see the number of accounts added to each app.

How to check the status of your apps

As an admin, you can track the status of the apps you've added in the admin console.

To check the status of an app:

1. Log in to dash.ai with your admin credentials.

2. Click your avatar (profile picture or initials) in the lower left.

3. Select Admin console.

4. Click the arrow to expand the Dash menu options.

5. Click Apps.

You’ll see the app status listed in the Status column, to the right of the app name. You can also view the status by clicking ⚙ (settings) to the right of each app.

You may see the following app statuses:

• Not connected: The app hasn’t been added to Dash.

• Syncing: The app is syncing to Dash. This can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days, depending on how much content is in your account. Dash admins will receive an email when all content has been synced.

• Connected: The app has completed syncing your files with Dash.

• Enabled: The app is available and can be added to Dash by team members.

• Error: There’s an issue preventing the app from syncing with Dash. Issues may include invalid or expired authentication, or temporary outages in the source system.

Note: If you’re not an admin, you can view the status of added apps by logging into dash.ai and clicking Apps in the left sidebar.

How to enable or disable public stack sharing

If you want to allow members to share their stacks with other members, you must enable the feature in the admin console.

To allow members to share stacks with other members:

1. Log in to dash.ai with your admin credentials.

2. Click your avatar (profile picture or initials) in the lower left.

3. Select Admin console.

4. Click the arrow to expand the Dash menu options.

5. Click Settings.

6. In the Content section, toggle the Public sharing of stacks button On.

To disable public stack sharing:

1. Log in to dash.ai with your admin credentials.

2. Click your avatar (profile picture or initials) in the lower left.

3. Click the arrow to expand the Dash menu options.

4. Click Settings.

5. In the Content section, toggle the Public sharing of stacks button Off.

How to download desktop app or browser extension

Dropbox Dash is available as a desktop app and as a browser extension. You can download the installation files in the Device management section.

Note: To ensure Dash is deployed consistently across your organization, you can use device management tools like Microsoft InTune or Jamf. Learn more about performing a managed deployment of the Dash desktop app and browser extension.

To download the Dash desktop app or browser extension:

1. Log in to dash.ai with your admin credentials.

2. Click your avatar (profile picture or initials) in the lower left.

3. Select Admin console.

4. Click the arrow to expand the Dash menu options.

5. Click Settings.

6. In the Device management section choose one of the following:

   • For the desktop app, click MSI (for Windows) or PKG (for Mac) to pre-stage a client deployment.

   • For the managed browsers, click Chrome or Edge.

How to download the Dash mobile app

You can use the Dropbox Dash mobile app on Android and iOS devices to view your Dash activity feed and browse your stacks, as well as search and ask questions about your content.

To install the Dash mobile app:

1. Ensure your mobile device meets system requirements for the Dash mobile app.

2. Open the Google Play Store (Android) or the App Store (iOS).

3. Search for Dropbox Dash.

4. Install the app.

5. Open the Dropbox Dash mobile app.

6. Log in with your Dropbox Dash account credentials.

Once you’ve installed the Dropbox Dash mobile app you can view recent activity, tap the search bar to start searching or asking questions about your content, and access your stacks.

How to view security settings

In the Security section, you can access the following pages so you can monitor and configure your security settings:

• Security logging: Filter, view, and download account activity.

• Enable SSO: Access the Single sign-on page to configure access settings.

• Domain verification: Verify ownership and get insights on your company domain.

To access these pages:

1. Log in to dash.ai with your admin credentials.

2. Click your avatar (profile picture or initials) in the lower left.

3. Click the arrow to expand the Dash menu options.

4. Click Settings.

5. In the Security section:

   • Click Open next to Security logging.

   • Click Open next to Enable SSO access.

   • Click Open next to Domain verification.

Monitor account activity

You can filter, view, and download account activity from the Security logging option in the Security section.

To monitor events and activities in the Security logging section:

1. Log in to dash.ai with your admin credentials.

2. Click your avatar (profile picture or initials) in the lower left.

3. Click the arrow next to Dash in the left sidebar, then click Settings.

4. In the Security section, click the Open button next to Security logging.

5. Select the date range and filter by Apps and Features, then scroll down to the Dash section to view activity logs.

How to add domains to your allowlist

Admins can specify which email address domains can interact with connected apps. This ensures that only approved or trusted domains can be used, reducing potential security and compliance risks.

To add email address domains to your allowlist:

1. Log in to dash.ai with your admin credentials.

2. Click your avatar (profile picture or initials) in the lower left.

3. Click the arrow to expand the Dash menu options.

4. Click Settings.

5. In the Security section, click Edit next to the Allowlist domains for app authentication.

6. Type the email domain, and then click +Add. ‍

   • Note: You must include the “@” symbol and extension. For example, type “@domains.com”.

7. Click Done.

Notes:

• Allowlist domains for app authentication only works with these apps: Asana, Gmail, Google Calendar, Lucid, and Smartsheet.

• Allowlist domains for app authentication won’t be enforced on these apps: Microsoft OneDrive, Notion, Airtable, and Github.
  

Protect and control

Before and after deploying Dropbox Dash to your team, reviewing document permissions helps protect your organization’s information.

Security is a core feature of Dropbox Dash, and its built-in tools for managing content visibility and access should be an essential part of your deployment process. Dash data access governance supports files stored in Dropbox, Google Drive, and Microsoft 365.

Learn more about using Protect and control and Action history in your admin console.

Manage and assign licenses to new members

In the admin console, you can assign licenses to new members and update or remove licenses for existing members. You can also check available licenses to ensure your team has the tools they need to work efficiently.

Important: Verify that all apps sync completely before assigning licenses. Syncing may take 1–2 days. Once the sync finishes, follow these steps to assign Dash licenses.

How to assign a product to an existing member account

To assign a product to an existing member account:

1. Log in to dropbox.com with your admin credentials.

2. Click Admin console.

3. Click Members.

4. Click Manage invites.

5. Select one or more members, and click Add products.

6. Select the appropriate product and click Assign.

An invitation email will be sent with instructions to get started with Dash.

How to assign a license to a new member

To assign a license to a new member:

1. Log in to dropbox.com with your admin credentials.

2. Click Admin console.

3. Click Members.

4. Click Invite members.

5. Enter the email address for the member you’d like to invite

6. Add a brief message, if you’d like.

7. Click Modify access to review and select the folders can access.

8. Click Invite.

How to remove a license

To remove a license:

1. Log in to dropbox.com with your admin credentials.

2. Click Admin console.

3. Click Members.

4. Select one or more team members, and click Remove products.

5. Select a product and click Remove.

The team member will not receive an email notification when their license is removed.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)