Dropbox Dash Admin Onboarding Guide

Overview

Dropbox Dash for Business combines AI universal search and organization with universal content access control. With integrations across platforms like Google Drive, Microsoft 365, and SharePoint, 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 connectors, manage members, and adjust Dash settings to ensure your team can fully leverage the power of Dash.

Access the admin console

If you are a Dash admin, you can manage settings, connectors, and members in the admin console.

To access the admin console:

1. Log in to dropbox.com with your admin credentials.
2. Click Admin console in the left sidebar.
3. Click the arrow to expand the Dash menu options.
4. Click Settings.

Configure Dash connectors

There are two levels of app connections in Dash:

• Company: Admins can add shared apps — such as Google Drive, Microsoft 365, and Dropbox — at the company level, making them accessible to all Dash users across the organization. These connections are centrally managed, ensuring seamless integration for shared or widely-used applications.
• User: For other apps, users can connect and manage them independently. However, admins must first make these apps available as user-level options in the admin console. Once enabled by the admin, users can connect these apps themselves, tailoring their setup to their specific needs.

How to enable user connectors

User connectors can be added individually and don’t require admin setup. Learn how to add user connectors to Dash.

How to set up company connectors

To connect an app at the company level (for company apps):

1. Log in to dropbox.com with your admin credentials.
2. Click Admin console in the left sidebar.
3. Click the arrow to expand the Dash menu options.
4. Click the More Apps tab, and select an app. For example, Microsoft 365 or Google Drive.
5. Click +Add and follow the prompts.

After you add the app, it displays in the Your Apps tab. Click the gear icon to see how many users have connected to the app.

After connecting an app, you can monitor the status of the connector, view the number of files indexed, and see the number of accounts added to Dash.
‍
Refer to these connector guides to learn how to learn how to connect Dash to specific apps for your organization:

Microsoft 365 Company Connector Setup
‍Google Drive Company Connector Setup
‍Dropbox Company Connector Setup

How to check the status of your connectors‍

As an admin, you can track the status of your connector integrations in the admin console.

To check connector status:

1. Log in to dropbox.com with your admin credentials.
2. Click Admin console in the left sidebar.
3. Click the arrow to expand the Dash menu options.
4. Click Apps.

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

You may see the following connector statuses:

• Not connected: The connector hasn’t been added to Dash.
• Syncing: The connector 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 connector has completed syncing your files with Dash.
• Error: There’s an issue preventing the connector from syncing with Dash. Issues may include invalid or expired authentication, or temporary outages in the source system.

If you’re not an admin, you can view the status of connector integrations by logging into dash.dropbox.com and clicking Apps in the left sidebar.

Configure Dash settings

In the admin console, admins can configure Dash settings to customize features for users. These options include:

• Adding your company name and logo
• Enabling or disabling stack sharing
• Downloading the Dash desktop app and browser extension
• Accessing security information for your team

‍

How to add your company name and logo

If you want to customize the Dash interface, you can add your company name and logo in the admin console.

To add your company name or logo to the Dash interface:

1. Log in to dropbox.com with your admin credentials.
2. Click Admin console in the left sidebar.
3. Click the arrow to expand the Dash menu options.
4. Click Settings.
5. Scroll to the General section.
6. Make the desired changes:
   1. To add your company name, click Change next to Company Name, type your company name, then click Done.
   2. To add a logo, click Choose file next to Company Logo, select a file, then click Update.

How to enable or disable public stack sharing

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

To allow users to share stacks with other users:

1. Log in to dropbox.com with your admin credentials.
2. Click Admin console in the left sidebar.
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 On.

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.

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 dropbox.com with your admin credentials.
2. Click Admin console in the left sidebar.
3. Click the arrow to expand the Dash menu options.
4. Click Settings.
5. In the Device management section choose one of the following:
   1. For the desktop app, click MSI (for Windows) or PKG (for macOS) to pre-stage a client deployment.
   2. For the managed browsers, click Chrome or Edge.

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 dropbox.com with your admin credentials.
2. Click Admin console in the left sidebar.
3. Click the arrow to expand the Dash menu options.
4. Click Settings.
5. In the Security section:
   1. Click Open next to Security logging.
   2. Click Open next to Enable SSO access.
   3. 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 dropbox.com with your admin credentials.
2. Click Admin console in the left sidebar.
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 dropbox.com with your admin credentials.
2. Click Admin console in the left sidebar.
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. ‍
   1. Note: You must include the “@” symbol and extension. For example, type “@domains.com”.
7. Click Done.

Allowlist domains for app authentication only works with these apps: Asana, Dropbox, Dropbox Paper, Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive, Google Meet, Lucid, PagerDuty, Salesforce, Smartsheet, Wordpress Zoom, and Zendesk.

Allowlist domains for app authentication won’t be enforced on these apps: Microsoft 365 applications, Atlassian Jira, Atlassian Confluence, Notion, HubSpot, Box, Slack, Airtable, Github, and Quip.

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 and connectors 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 in the left sidebar.
3. Click the arrow to expand the Dash menu options.
4. Click Overview.
5. Click Manage invites.
6. Select one or more members, and click Add products.
7. 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 in the left sidebar.
3. Click the arrow to expand the Dash menu options.
4. Click Overview.
5. Click Manage invites.
6. Click Invite members.
7. Enter the email address for the member you’d like to invite
8. Add a brief message, if you’d like.
9. Click Modify access to review and select the folders can access.
10. 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 in the left sidebar.
3. Click the arrow to expand the Dash menu options.
4. Click Overview.
5. Click Manage invites.
6. Select one or more team members, and click Remove products.
7. Select a product and click Remove.

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

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

• Can I manage which apps users can connect?
  • Only admins can enable apps. Once enabled, users can connect them as needed.

• Can I set a maximum or minimum version for managed deployment?
  
  • No, you can’t set a maximum or minimum version for managed deployment.

• How long does it take for connectors to fully sync after setup?
  
  • Syncing connectors may take 1–2 days, depending on data size and the number of connected apps. To ensure users have full access, wait for the sync to complete before assigning licenses.

• Can I set different permission levels for different users within Dash?
  
  • Permissions in Dash are based on Dropbox roles, such as admins and team members.

• What happens if an app disconnects or fails?
  
  • If an app disconnects or fails, you’ll receive an email notification, and an alert will appear in the Dash admin console. You can reconnect the service to restore functionality.

• Can I customize the onboarding email that new users receive?
  
  • No, onboarding emails are auto-generated and can‘t be customized.

• Is there a way to monitor team usage?
  
  • Yes. Admins can view user activity, such as connected apps, usage frequency, and accessed features in the Security section of the Settings page.

• How do I handle license reassignments if an employee leaves the company?
  
  • When an employee leaves, you can remove their Dash add-ons in the Members tab of the admin console. This frees up their license for reassignment to another team member.

• What kind of support is available during the setup process?
  
  • Dropbox offers dedicated support for admins during onboarding. Visit the help center, request live chat support, or reach out to your Dropbox account manager for help with more complex setups.

• What happens if we add new apps or change our tool stack?
  
  • As your tool stack evolves, you can always return to the Connectors section in the Dash admin console to add or remove apps. Dash will automatically index any new apps you connect and make them available to your users.

• Is there a limit to the number of apps I can connect to Dash?
  
  • No, there’s no strict limit on the number of connectors you can enable. However, we recommend enabling only the apps necessary for your team to avoid clutter and ensure Dash operates efficiently.

• How do I ensure security for sensitive apps or data within Dash?
  
  • For sensitive data, we recommend using Company connectors, which require admin-managed credentials. Additionally, enabling single sign-on (SSO) and domain verification provides extra layers of security to protect your organization. Learn how to enable SSO and domain verification for your team.

• What should I do if some team members are having trouble connecting apps?
  
  • If users have problems connecting apps, first verify that the app is enabled for them in the Apps tab. If the problems persist, they can troubleshoot connectivity in the help center or reach out to support for further assistance.

• How do I deploy updates to Dash for my team?
  
  • Dash typically updates automatically, but if you’re managing deployments with tools like InTune or JAMF, you can download the latest packages from the admin console and push updates to your team.