# Export Paige documents to a synced Dropbox folder

Run an SFTP server on a PC that has the Dropbox desktop app, point Paige at a folder inside Dropbox, and every finished document uploads itself — PDFs plus Paige's data files, nothing to build and no automation subscription.

Product: paige · Audience: system-administrator · Time: 45 minutes · Last verified: 2026-09-05

Canonical: https://help.ademero.com/paige/integrations/export-paige-documents-to-a-synced-dropbox-folder

**At the end of this guide, every document Paige finishes appears in Dropbox as a searchable PDF, minutes after export, with nothing to build — because the export folder on a PC is inside Dropbox and the desktop app uploads whatever lands there.**

## How it works

1. The Dropbox desktop app keeps the Dropbox folder on the PC in sync with the cloud (by default it's inside your user folder).
2. An SFTP server on that PC exposes a subfolder of it as Paige's export folder.
3. Paige exports finished documents there. Dropbox uploads them.

> **IMPORTANT:** Dropbox syncs only while the account is signed in to Windows and the app is running. Use a PC or VM that stays on and signs in automatically. Keep the Paige folder set to **available offline** (the default), not **online-only**, so the SFTP server always writes to a real local folder.

## Step 1 — Prepare the Dropbox folder

1. Install the Dropbox desktop app on the PC and sign in. **What you should see:** a **Dropbox** folder in File Explorer (its exact location is under the Dropbox app's **Preferences**).
2. Inside it, create a folder for Paige — in a team folder if the documents belong to the team — for example `Dropbox\Finance\Paige Invoices`. One subfolder per scan job.
3. If you use selective sync, make sure this folder is included.

## Step 2 — Run an SFTP server on the PC

Windows' built-in **OpenSSH Server** is free and enough:

1. **Settings > System > Optional features > Add a feature**, install **OpenSSH Server**, and set the **OpenSSH SSH Server** service to start automatically.
2. Create a local Windows user for Paige (for example `paige-sftp`) with a strong password and modify rights on the Paige folder.
3. Forward port 22 on your firewall or router to this PC, allowing only Paige's address ranges — [Outbound IP ranges for firewall allow-lists](/paige/document-processing/outbound-ip-ranges-for-firewall-allow-lists).

Test from an SFTP client outside your network first and note the exact path that reaches the folder (for example `/C:/Users/<you>/Dropbox/Finance/Paige Invoices`).

## Step 3 — Point Paige at the folder

1. In Paige, open **Settings** (the gear at the bottom of the left menu — administrators only), pick the scan job, and choose **Export**.
2. Click the **FTP** card. Enter your public address in **FTP Address**, **Port** `22`, the SFTP user's **Username** and **Password**, and the path from Step 2 in **FTP Folder Path**.
3. Click **Test Connection**. **What you should see:** `FTP connection successful!` Connect — `Connected to FTP Server!` and a green **Connected** label.
4. Turn on **Enable Auto Export**, switch on **Only documents having a document type**, set **Human Reviewed** to **Reviewed** if a person checks documents in Paige first, and click **Save**.

## Step 4 — Test it

1. Process one document through the scan job and wait for the export.
2. On the PC, open the Paige folder. **What you should see:** the PDF plus `.json`, `.xml`, and `.csv` files with the same base name, each showing Dropbox's green check within a minute.
3. Open dropbox.com. **What you should see:** the same files in the folder.

## Living with it

- **Filenames** are Paige's generated ones. Rename by hand, or use the [automation path](/paige/integrations/send-paige-documents-to-dropbox-with-an-automation) to name files from their contents.
- **The data files** arrive too. The `.csv` opens in Excel if someone wants the values.
- **Generate combined metadata file** in Paige's FTP settings adds one JSON, XML, and CSV per export run summarizing every document.

## When it doesn't work

| Symptom | Where to look |
| --- | --- |
| `FTP connection failed:` from Paige | Port 22 isn't reachable from the internet, the firewall rule doesn't include Paige's ranges, or the Windows user's password is wrong. |
| Files arrive on the PC but never reach Dropbox | The app isn't running or signed in, the PC is asleep, the folder is outside the Dropbox folder, or selective sync excludes it. Check the Dropbox icon in the system tray. |
| Files show a sync error | The account is out of space, or a name breaks Dropbox's rules. |
| Nothing arrives from Paige | Auto-export criteria aren't met, or the document was processed before you turned auto export on. Export it once from the **Documents** page. |

If the Paige side is the problem, contact Ademero support with the scan job name and the message from **Test Connection**.

## What's next

- [Send Paige documents to Dropbox with an automation](https://help.ademero.com/paige/integrations/send-paige-documents-to-dropbox-with-an-automation)
- [Connect Paige to Dropbox](https://help.ademero.com/paige/integrations/connect-paige-to-dropbox)