Troubleshoot a Dropbox data import

Here's how to address common issues you may encounter when setting up a data import from Dropbox to Google Workspace.

Can't start a data import

If you get a To start migration, you must have super admin privileges and complete all previous steps error, make sure that a super administrator for your Workspace account sets up and starts the data import.

Need permission to access resources error

If you get a Needs permission to access resources in your organization that only an admin can grant error, make sure you connect to the Dropbox account with a Dropbox Team admin account. For details, go to Connect your Dropbox account.

User account issues

Before starting a data import, you must set up the user accounts in Workspace. For details, go to Options for adding users.

A user account that isn't set up or set up incorrectly can cause the following issues in the reports:

Report message How to fix
Google Drive isn't enabled for the User
  • Set up a Workspace account for the user if they don't already have one.
  • Make sure the user accounts have Google Drive turned on for their account.
Dropbox isn't enabled for the User
  • Confirm that you have the correct email address or folder path in your list files and folders.
  • Confirm that you have the correct Dropbox email address in your identity map.

Error uploading list of personal & team folders

When you upload the file of personal and team folders that you want to import from Dropbox, you might get one of the following errors:

  • Upload sensitive CSV failed
  • Validate CSV failed
  • Bulk action initiation failed

To troubleshoot, confirm the following items and then upload the file again:

  • The file has only 3 columns with the headers Source DropboxValue, Target Drive FolderId, and Target GUser.
  • The Dropbox user email addresses and team folder paths are valid.
  • Each Dropbox file or folder is only listed once.
  • For each Dropbox team folder that you're importing, there's a valid value for Source DropboxValue, Target GUser, and Target Drive FolderID.
  • Each user has a Workspace account.

Data import completes with failed items

  1. In Workspace, click View data import logs.
  2. Identify the items that didn't import and the reasons for their failure. For details, go to Understand a Dropbox data import report.
  3. Fix the issues and then run a delta import.

Missing files, folders, or permissions

If you have missing files, folders, or permissions after a data import, follow these steps:

  1. Check that the list of Dropbox folders includes the emails of the users who own the missing items. Learn more about how to create a file of Dropbox folders to import.
  2. Verify that your identity map contains the correct list of users. For details, go to Create & upload an identity map.
  3. Make sure that at least one owner of the Dropbox file or folder has a Workspace user account.
  4. Make sure that your data import settings aren't skipping the files you want to import. For details, go to import files from a Dropbox account.
  5. View the data import logs. For details, go to Understand a Dropbox data import report.
  6. In the report, use the file name to search for the missing file. File names are part of the Source URL in the data import report.
  7. If you get an error message in the report, locate the error code in the data import report. Then follow the instructions to troubleshoot the error message.
  8. Run a delta import.


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