Use of cookies and similar technologies
The information in this article applies to all Dropbox , Dropbox Sign, DocSend, and FormSwift websites.
Dropbox uses cookies and similar technologies to provide, improve, protect, and promote our services.
A cookie is a small data file sent to your browser when you visit a website. We use our own cookies as well as third-party cookies. See the “How does Dropbox use cookies?” section below for information on third-party cookies we use.
In addition to cookies, we use similar technologies, such as pixel tags ("pixels"), which are small pieces of code belonging to a third party that can be embedded on websites and emails. Another example of a similar technology is local storage, which allows us to store information locally on your browser or device to improve your experience, such as remembering your settings for whether you prefer to view your folders in a list or as thumbnails.
Important: For the purposes of this article, we’ll refer to all of these technologies as “cookies.”
How does Dropbox use cookies?
Dropbox uses different categories of cookies to provide, protect, improve, and promote our website and services. Dropbox only retains personal data for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected. Information on these categories and their purposes is described below.
Strictly necessary cookies
These are cookies that are essential in order to operate the website and services.
Category |
Purpose |
Data elements |
Expiration |
Third parties |
Strictly necessary |
Cookies that are used to operate the website and services, such as to log you in and keep your account secure. |
Categories of data collected for these purposes include authentication data, unique ID, browser information, and language settings. |
These cookies are set to expire after times ranging from 30 days to 5 years. |
Third-party providers used include Google. |
Non-essential cookies
These are all other cookies that are not considered strictly necessary but are used for a number of purposes when you interact with our website and services. These purposes include:
Category |
Purpose |
Data elements |
Expiration |
Third parties |
Analytics |
Cookies that help us and our partners understand how our websites are engaged with, such as usage statistics or to reconstruct viewed UI elements, in order to improve and customize our services. |
Categories of data collected for these purposes include website usage data, number of visits, browser and/or device information, and unique ID. |
These cookies are set to expire after times ranging from session (~20 minutes) to 2 years. |
Third-party providers used include Google, Salesforce, Coveo, and Tealium. |
General marketing and advertising |
Cookies that are used by Dropbox and our partners to better understand the types of individuals who are interested in our products and services and how we can promote those services based on that information. |
Categories of data collected for these purposes include cross-website tracking data, browser information, version data, and advertisement conversion data. |
These cookies are set to expire after times ranging from session (~20 minutes) to 2 years. |
Third-party providers used include Adobe, Marketo, and Google. |
Performance and functionality |
Cookies which help us remember your preferences and settings in order to improve your experience when interacting with our sites and services. |
Categories of data collected for these purposes include website usage data, previous help center or chat history, email address, and unique ID. |
These cookies are set to expire after times ranging from session (~20 minutes) to 3 years. |
Third-party providers used include SnapEngage. |
Social media advertising |
Cookies that are used by Dropbox and our partners to understand the effectiveness of our advertisements on social media services. These cookies also help them understand your advertising preferences so they can more effectively show you our advertisements which are relevant to your interests. |
Categories of data collected for these purposes include social media account details, browser and/or device data, advertisement conversion data, website usage and/or activity data, and unique ID. |
These cookies are set to expire after times ranging from session (~20 minutes) to 2 years. |
Third-party providers used include Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn. |
How can I control the data collected through cookies?
Browser settings
Dropbox websites and services recognize and respect some browser-enabled opt-out signals, such as the Global Privacy Control. Additionally there are other ways to set your browser to not accept cookies, but this may limit your ability to use our services. Due to a lack of an agreed upon standard for interpreting Do Not Track (DNT) signals, our systems currently don’t respond to DNT:1 signals from browsers visiting our websites.
Cookie preferences
When you use our services, you can select which cookies you consent to by clicking the Cookies & CCPA Preferences link. This link can be found in the footer of this page under Support, as well as throughout our websites and services.
California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)
In accordance with the California Consumer Privacy Act, you can opt out of the selling or sharing of personal information and update your preferences by clicking the Cookies & CCPA Preferences link mentioned above. As described in the Dropbox Privacy Policy, the Dropbox Sign Privacy Policy, the DocSend Privacy Policy, and the FormSwift Privacy Policy, we don’t sell personal information.
For more information on how to control and access your personal data, please see the privacy policies linked above. If you’d like more information regarding the use of data collected from cookies, contact our Data Protection Officer at privacy@dropbox.com.
