Charlie Blomkvist
Yes, monday.com can be connected to Dropbox. With the integration, a folder is created in Dropbox when a project or customer is added in monday.com, files uploaded to the item end up in the right folder, the link sits on the item and files added in Dropbox show up in monday.com. It is built in an integration platform like Make, around how your company works. This article covers what the integration does, how it is built and what to consider before you get started.
- The deal is set to Won in monday.com
- Router · Does the customer folder exist in Dropbox?YesThe project folder is created under the customer folderNoThe customer folder is created first
- The folder link is written to the deal and the project
The folder structure is the same for every customer, and the rep and project manager click the link in monday.com and land in the right folder.
- A file is uploaded to the file column on the item
- The file is copied to the project folder in Dropbox
- The file name gets the project number and date
The team works in monday.com as usual, and the file is also in Dropbox where the rest of the company can find it.
- The project reaches the Waiting for documents stage
- A file request is created in Dropbox and the link is sent to the customer
- Router · Documents received?YesStatus Documents received and a task for the project managerNoReminder to the customer after a week
The customer uploads directly to your folder without their own Dropbox account, and the project moves on once the documents are in place.
- The delivery is marked approved in monday.com
- The delivery files are gathered in a shared folder
- A sharing link is created and written to the item
The customer gets a link to the right files, and everyone can see in monday.com what was delivered and when.
The flows above are only examples of how it can work. Every integration is built around your process: which steps to include, what should happen in each situation and who is responsible for what.
Short answer
monday.com can pull files from Dropbox directly in the file column without setting anything up in the Integrations Center, but it is manual: someone picks the file. There is no built-in integration that creates folders or moves files. That is built in Make or Zapier, which both have ready-made apps for Dropbox and monday.com, or with custom code against the Dropbox API. Zapier is enough for simple flows. Make is a better fit when the flow has conditions, several steps or needs error handling. That is where we build most integrations.
What the integration can do
Here are four common examples. Your integration can do more, less or something entirely different, depending on how you work.
When a project, customer or deal is added in monday.com, a folder is created in Dropbox following your structure, with subfolders if you want them. The folder is named after the item, and the link is written to a column.
Files uploaded in monday.com are copied to the right folder in Dropbox and given a name that follows your standard.
The integration can create a file request in Dropbox when you need documents from the customer, and a sharing link when you deliver. The links are written to the item in monday.com.
When a file is added to a watched folder, the item in monday.com can get an update, a link or a task for whoever needs to act.
Why connect monday.com and Dropbox?
- Everyone finds the files. The folder structure is the same for every customer and project, and the link sits on the item.
- Less duplicate work. Nobody creates folders by hand or downloads and uploads files between the systems.
- Easier for the customer. The customer uploads documents through a file request and picks up the delivery through a sharing link, without getting access to more than necessary.
- The work and the files belong together. The team works in monday.com, the rest of the company in Dropbox, and both see the same files.
How the integration is built
There are three ways to build it, and which one fits depends on how advanced the flow is.
| Option | Best when | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Zapier | A simple one-way flow, for example a new item in monday.com creates a folder in Dropbox | Quick to get started, but limited when the flow needs conditions, several steps or has to build a folder structure |
| Make | Flows with conditions, several steps and in both directions, for example customer and project folders, renamed files, file requests and sharing links | Powerful and flexible, but requires a well-designed flow and error handling |
| Custom code against the Dropbox API | Large volumes, complex permissions or requirements the platforms cannot handle | The most flexible, but requires someone to own and maintain the code |
For most companies, Make is the right choice, but the platform is just the tool. What determines whether the integration holds up is how it is built: where in Dropbox the folders are created, how they are named, which account owns them and what happens when an item is renamed, deleted or duplicated. An integration that works in a test but silently creates duplicate folders in production costs more than it saves. That is why we build with logging and alerts from the start, and manage the integration as the process or the systems change. The integration runs with a Dropbox account, which for a company should sit in your Dropbox team with access to a shared folder.
What to decide before you build
An integration is never better than the process it automates. These questions determine whether it works in practice:
- What should create the folder? A new project, a won deal or a new customer. Decide exactly which event in monday.com creates the folder, and whether there should be a customer folder above the project folder.
- What should the folders be called? Project number, customer name and year are common. Decide on a standard that works both in Dropbox and in monday.com.
- Which account owns the folders? A shared folder in your Dropbox team is the safest choice. That way the files are owned by the company and not by an employee who might leave.
- Which files should be sorted, and in which direction? Everything uploaded in monday.com, only certain columns, or also what is added in Dropbox? Copied or just linked?
- What happens when something goes wrong? A good flow logs every run and flags when a folder could not be created, instead of silently skipping it.
Dropbox and monday.com share the work
Dropbox is the company archive, where files are stored, shared and versioned. monday.com is where the work happens. The integration lets each tool do what it does best, with the project in monday work management or the deal in monday CRM owning the structure and Dropbox owning the files. The same principle applies in monday service, where ticket attachments can be placed in the customer's folder. If you use Google Drive instead, the integration works the same way, read more in monday.com and Google Drive: how the integration works. If the file is a signed contract, the same flow can fetch it from GetAccept, a Swedish platform for sales documents and e-signatures, or PandaDoc.
Straviont builds the integration
We are an official monday.com partner and certified CRM specialists with monday.com, and we build integrations between monday.com and file storage like Dropbox in Make. We start with the process: what should create the folder, what it should be called, who owns it and which files belong there. Only then is the flow built, with logging and error handling, and we manage it as your business changes. You can find more systems we connect to monday.com under all integrations.
Frequently asked questions
Can monday.com be connected to Dropbox?
Yes. Files from Dropbox can be picked directly in the file column in monday.com, and for automated flows the systems are connected through an integration platform like Make or Zapier, or with custom code against the Dropbox API.
Can monday.com create a folder in Dropbox automatically?
Yes. When a project, customer or deal is created in monday.com, the integration can create a folder in Dropbox following your structure, name it after the item and write the link to a column on the item.
Can files uploaded in monday.com end up in Dropbox?
Yes. Files uploaded to a file column can be copied to the right folder in Dropbox and named according to your standard.
Can the customer submit files without their own Dropbox account?
Yes. The integration can create a file request in Dropbox when the project needs documents, send the link to the customer and update the item in monday.com once the files have arrived.
What do we need in Dropbox to connect the systems?
A Dropbox account with access to the folders that will be used. For a company, it should be an account in your Dropbox team with access to a shared folder, so the company owns the folders.
Should we choose Make or Zapier?
Zapier is enough for simple one-way flows, for example a new item creating a folder. Make is a better fit when the flow needs to build a folder structure, rename files, handle duplicates and work in both directions, which applies to most integrations between a project tool and file storage.
Next steps
Start by describing how you want your files organized: what creates the folder, what it should be called, who owns it and which files belong there. From there, building it goes quickly. If you want help, you can book a free mapping session and we will go through it together.