How Spiro works with your Dropbox account after it's connected: how folders are shared, what triggers an import, and what happens when files are replaced, renamed, or deleted. To connect Dropbox and set up your folders, see Configuring Dropbox Integration.
Overview
Spiro creates a Dropbox folder for every job, shares it with the right people, and imports finished media from your Auto Imported Folders into the Property Website Editor.
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Examples
Recommended folder setup
This setup isn't required, but we recommend it. It covers the most common workflows, and it's the setup our support team knows best, so we can help you faster.
Folder | Type | Used for |
01-RAW-Photos | Static Folder, RAW / Unedited Photos selected | Unedited photos from the Photographer |
02-RAW-Videos | Static Folder | Unedited video clips |
03-RAW-Media | Static Folder | Other raw files |
04-Final-Auto | Auto Imported Folder, Photo | Finished photos for the gallery |
05-Final-Auto | Auto Imported Folder, Video | Finished video |
Numbering the folders keeps them in order in Dropbox. Spiro doesn't create these folders for you. Add them in Settings → Integrations → Dropbox Configuration.
Understanding sharing and access
Photographers get access to their quarter folder and the job folder when they complete the job in the Photographer Portal.
Editors get access to the job folder when their task is sent to them, using the Dropbox Email Address on their profile if one is set.
Admins use the connected Dropbox account directly.
Spiro removes access to each job folder 7 days after the delivery email is sent. Photographers can still reach it through their quarter folder.
Admins can open any job folder from the Dropbox button on the Order in the Property Website Editor. Photographers use Storage Folder in the Photographer Portal.
Dropbox's shared-folder limit
Dropbox limits how many folders can be shared at once. Spiro shares only job and quarter folders, and removes job folder access after 7 days, to stay under that limit.
Don't share Spiro folders (such as Spiro Uploads, a year, or a quarter folder) manually in Dropbox. Each manual share counts toward the limit.
Don't rename, move, or delete job folders in Dropbox. Spiro can no longer find them, and the Dropbox and Storage Folder buttons stop working for that Order.
If the limit is reached, Spiro shows an error and clears old shares automatically. Wait about 10 minutes and try again. See Fixing Dropbox 400 Folder Error.
Understanding how imports work
What triggers an import
Spiro watches your Auto Imported Folders and imports whenever Dropbox reports a change, such as a file being added, replaced, or renamed. Files in subfolders are imported too.
When imports stop
Imports stop when the Order is delivered, unless After Delivery Auto Import Settings is turned on. Then Spiro keeps importing for the number of days you choose (1–4). After that, upload changes manually in the Property Website Editor.
How long imports take
Imports aren't instant. Large files, many files, or many jobs uploading at once take longer. Imports keep running if you leave the page.
Replacing a file
Saving a new version over a file with the same name replaces it in the Property Website Editor, in the same spot in the gallery. Spiro only replaces it if the Dropbox file is newer than the one already in Spiro. If a replacement doesn't appear, save or export the file again so it has a new modified date, or upload it manually.
Renaming a file
A renamed file imports as a new item. The item with the old name stays, so delete it in the Property Website Editor.
Deleting a file
Deleting a file from Dropbox doesn't remove it from the Property Website Editor. Delete it there too.
Deleting media in the Property Website Editor doesn't bring it back from Dropbox on the next sync. It only returns if that file changes in Dropbox again.
Uploading manually as well
Spiro matches files by name, not by where they came from.
If you upload a photo manually and a Dropbox file has the same name, the manual upload stays unless the Dropbox file is saved again later. A newer Dropbox file replaces it.
Files with different names are both kept.
Understanding gallery order
Where new photos land is set in Settings → My Company → New Photo Import Order:
New images at the end (default): new photos are added after the existing ones, in alphanumerical order. Your manual order is kept.
New images at the beginning: new photos are added before the existing ones. Your manual order is kept.
Alphanumerical order: the whole gallery is re-sorted by file name on every import. Any manual reordering is lost.
The first photos imported to an Order are always sorted alphanumerically. A replaced photo keeps its spot.
To control the order from Dropbox, number your files (for example, 01-kitchen.jpg, 02-living.jpg).
Understanding file names
Each file name can only appear once per Order. If two photos, floor plans, or downloadable files share a name, even in different subfolders, only one is kept.
If two videos share a name, the second one is skipped.
Give every file in a job a unique name. For effects such as twilight edits, add a suffix (for example, image005_TW.jpg) so both versions import.
Understanding video from Dropbox
Video can be hosted by Dropbox or Vimeo. Choose in Settings → Integrations → Video Hosting Platform.
When Dropbox hosts video, only .mp4 files are imported. Other video files are skipped.
With Vimeo, Spiro uploads videos from your Auto Imported Folder to your Vimeo account.
For best playback, keep videos under 100 MB per minute. Spiro shows a Larger Video File warning on bigger files.
Don't delete a Dropbox-hosted video from Dropbox. The video stops playing on the property website, and Spiro can't restore it.
Keeping Dropbox videos after delivery
Job folders are cleaned up after delivery, so Spiro can store delivered videos in a separate video-archive folder in your Dropbox. Choose an option under 2 Weeks after delivering a listing in Video Hosting Platform → Dropbox:
Do Nothing (default): the video stays in the job folder.
Move video: the video is moved to the video-archive folder 2 weeks after delivery. It keeps playing on the property website.
Copy Video: a copy is saved to the video-archive folder and the property website plays the copy. The original stays in the job folder, so this uses twice the Dropbox storage.
Move and Copy don't run if your Dropbox storage is full.
For setup, see Dropbox Video Hosting Guide.
FAQ
Does Spiro create my folders automatically?
Spiro creates the year, quarter, Photographer, and job folders. The folders inside each job are the ones you add in Dropbox Configuration.
Why didn't my replacement photo show up?
Spiro only replaces a photo when the Dropbox file is newer than the one already in Spiro. Save or export it again, or upload it manually.
I renamed a photo in Dropbox and now it shows twice. Why?
A renamed file imports as a new photo, and the old one stays. Delete the old one in the Property Website Editor.
Why did my gallery order change after new photos imported?
Check Settings → My Company → New Photo Import Order. Alphanumerical order re-sorts the whole gallery on every import. Choose New images at the end or New images at the beginning to keep your order.
Will Dropbox overwrite a photo I uploaded manually?
Only if a Dropbox file with the same name is saved after your upload.
Can I keep importing after the Order is delivered?
Yes, for up to 4 days. Turn on After Delivery Auto Import Settings in Dropbox Configuration.
Why is my video blank on the property website?
If the video is hosted by Dropbox, check that the file is still in Dropbox. A deleted video can't play. Upload it again.
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