Connecting OneDrive, Google Drive, and Dropbox

Esqase can keep one folder in your Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive, or Dropbox in step with your Esqase documents, so you can keep working in Word, Google Docs, or Dropbox while every file also lives in Esqase. Files and folders move both ways: what you add or change in the drive arrives in Esqase, and what you add or change in Esqase goes back to the drive. Documents you write in Esqase appear in the drive as Word files, and edits to those Word files come back. From that folder you can also create a Word document or a Google Doc, and turn Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files into PDFs you can send for signature. On this page, "drive" means whichever of the three you connect.

This page explains what syncs and what does not, how to connect each drive and choose the folder, how much of your Google Drive Esqase can see, how changes flow and how often, how documents you write in Esqase appear in the drive, how versions and conflicts are handled, how to create, convert, and sign files, what happens when you trash or restore a file, how to disconnect, the limits, and how to fix common problems.

Before you begin

• The connection is personal. Like your email and calendar connections, each member connects their own OneDrive, Google Drive, or Dropbox, and nobody inherits a colleague's. The folder Esqase makes in your documents belongs to you: colleagues see it only if you share it with them. See Grant, change, and revoke document access.
• One folder per drive. You can sync one OneDrive folder, one Google Drive folder, and one Dropbox folder at a time, in each firm you belong to. To sync a different folder, disconnect the one you have first (see Disconnect).
• You need document access. Opening Cloud storage in your settings needs View access for documents. Choosing a folder, clicking Sync now, and disconnecting need Create access. Syncing keeps working only while your role includes View, Create, and Update access for documents. Firm owners always have full access. See Roles and permissions.
• Work and school Microsoft accounts. Some organisations only let an administrator approve new apps. If Microsoft asks for admin approval when you connect, see Troubleshooting.
• The card says Coming soon. Cloud storage is not switched on for your account yet. There is nothing to set up until it is.

What syncs and what does not

What syncs, both ways:

• Files and folders inside the synced folder, including folders inside folders.
• New files, new versions, renames, moves inside the synced folder, and deletions.
• Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. They arrive in Esqase as Word (.docx), Excel (.xlsx), and PowerPoint (.pptx) copies, and each edit you make in Google arrives as a new version.
• Documents you write in the Esqase editor. Each one appears in the drive as a Word (.docx) file, and edits to that Word file come back to the document in Esqase. See Documents you write in Esqase.

What does not sync:

• Anything outside the synced folder. A file you move out of the folder, on either side, stops syncing. Both copies stay where they are.
• Files larger than 100 MB, and Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides whose Word, Excel, or PowerPoint copy would be larger than 10 MB. They are skipped.
• Other Google file types, such as Google Forms, Drawings, and Sites. They are skipped.
• Shared drives, SharePoint document libraries, and files other people share with you in OneDrive or Google Drive. Only your own OneDrive and your own My Drive are supported.
• Dropbox team spaces, folders you cannot open, and files Dropbox cannot download. Esqase works in your own Dropbox. A folder in it that you are not allowed to open is skipped, and so are files Dropbox does not let you download, such as Dropbox Paper documents.
• In Google Drive without whole folder sync, files Esqase cannot see. See The Google Drive visibility rule.

Connect OneDrive

1. In the sidebar, click Integrations.
2. Under Cloud storage, find the Microsoft OneDrive card and click Connect.
3. The Connect Microsoft OneDrive dialog explains what Esqase will ask Microsoft for (permission to read and write the files in your OneDrive, to keep that access while you are away, and to see your Microsoft account email address), what it uses it for, and how to disconnect, with a link to section 3.6 of the Privacy Policy. Read it, then click Continue to Microsoft (or Cancel to stop).
4. Sign in to Microsoft if asked, and accept every permission Esqase asks for.
5. When you come back, Esqase says Connected. Choose the folder to sync. and takes you to Settings > Cloud storage with the folder picker already open. Continue with Choose the folder.

Connect Google Drive

1. In the sidebar, click Integrations.
2. Under Cloud storage, find the Google Drive card and click Connect.
3. The Connect Google Drive dialog explains what Esqase will ask Google for, what it uses it for, and how to disconnect, with a link to section 3.5 of the Privacy Policy. With whole folder sync (see The Google Drive visibility rule), Esqase asks for permission to see, edit, create, and delete the files in your Google Drive, to keep that access while you are away, and to see your Google account email address. Otherwise it asks for permission to see, edit, create, and delete only the Google Drive files that Esqase creates or that you choose to add, and to see your Google account email address, and the dialog explains that files you put in the folder from Google Drive itself are not picked up. Read it, then click Continue to Google (or Cancel to stop).
4. On Google's screen, keep every permission ticked and approve. A connection that is missing the Google Drive permission is refused, and Esqase asks you to connect again.
5. When you come back, Esqase says Connected. Choose the folder to sync. and takes you to Settings > Cloud storage with the folder step already open. Continue with Choose the folder.

Connect Dropbox

1. In the sidebar, click Integrations.
2. Under Cloud storage, find the Dropbox card and click Connect.
3. The Connect Dropbox dialog explains what Esqase will ask Dropbox for (permission to see, add, change, and delete the files and folders in your Dropbox, to keep that access while you are away, and to see your Dropbox account email address), what it uses it for, and how to disconnect, with a link to the Privacy Policy. Read it, then click Continue to Dropbox (or Cancel to stop).
4. Sign in to Dropbox if asked, and allow the access Esqase asks for.
5. When you come back, Esqase says Connected. Choose the folder to sync. and takes you to Settings > Cloud storage with the folder picker already open. Continue with Choose the folder.

Once connected, each card shows a Connected badge, a settings button (the gear icon), and a more options (⋯) menu. The settings button opens the Cloud storage page. The menu shows the Synced account and offers Disconnect, plus Sync now and Reconnect once a folder is syncing. When Google Drive asks you to reconnect for whole folder sync, its menu offers Reconnect before you choose a folder too.

Choose the folder

Nothing syncs until you choose the folder. If you leave before choosing one, the card on the Integrations page reads Choose the folder to sync in Cloud storage settings.

To open the folder step yourself:

1. Click the settings gear in the header to open Settings, then in the Personal group click Cloud storage. (Or, on the Integrations page, click the settings button, the gear icon, on the connected card.)
2. In the Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive, or Dropbox section, click Choose folder. Each section starts with the drive's logo, and its buttons sit on the right of that row.

For OneDrive, the Choose a Microsoft OneDrive folder dialog opens at My files:

1. Click a folder to open it. The trail at the top shows where you are; click an earlier step to go back.
2. When the folder you want to sync is open, the dialog reads Esqase will sync followed by its path. Click Select this folder. The button stays greyed out at My files, because the whole drive cannot be synced.

For Dropbox, the Choose a Dropbox folder dialog opens at Dropbox, the top of your Dropbox, and works the same way: open the folder you want to sync, then click Select this folder. The button stays greyed out at Dropbox, because the whole Dropbox cannot be synced.

For Google Drive, the Choose a Google Drive folder dialog depends on whether whole folder sync is on (see The Google Drive visibility rule):

• With whole folder sync, it opens at My Drive and works like the OneDrive dialog: open the folder you want to sync, then click Select this folder. My Drive itself cannot be synced.
• Otherwise it shows the Esqase folder in My Drive. Esqase makes this folder when the dialog opens, or reuses the one it made for you before. Click Use this folder.

You see a message such as Contracts is connected. The first sync has started. Esqase creates the matching folder at the top of My documents and fills it with the first sync. A large folder can take more than one sync to arrive in full; a Partial first sync simply carries on with the next one.

The Cloud storage page then shows, for each drive, the Status (Syncing, Needs attention, Needs reconnecting, Choose a folder, or Not connected), the connected Account, the Synced folder in the drive, the matching folder In Esqase (click it to open it), Files and folders (how many are synced, waiting, in conflict, failed, or skipped), when it Last synced, Recent activity, and the Last error if there is one. Below that, Recent syncs lists the last 20 syncs for the folder, newest first, with their Trigger (Folder connected, Sync now, Automatic, or Scheduled), Status (Queued, Running, Succeeded, Partial, or Failed), how many items were Pulled, Pushed, Skipped, and Failed, when it Started, and its Duration. A scheduled check that found nothing to do is not listed.

The matching folder in Esqase is managed by the sync: Rename, Move to, Assign to matter, and Move to Trash are greyed out on it, with the note Managed by cloud storage sync. Disconnect from Settings to change it. Everything inside it works as usual.

The Google Drive visibility rule

Esqase connects to Google Drive in one of two ways, and they differ in what Esqase can see.

Until whole folder sync is turned on in Esqase, Esqase asks Google for the narrowest Drive permission there is: access only to the files Esqase creates and the files you choose to hand it. It never asks to see the rest of your Drive. The Google Drive card then reads Add files from Google Drive and keep them in sync, create Google Docs, and convert them to PDF., and the result is a rule worth knowing:

• Esqase sees the Esqase folder, everything Esqase puts in it (files you upload into the synced folder in Esqase, documents you write there, and Google Docs you create from Esqase), and anything you add with Add from Google Drive.
• Esqase does not see files that you, or someone else, drop into the Esqase folder from Google Drive itself, or upload there from the Google Drive app, or folders made there in Google Drive. They stay in your Drive but do not appear in Esqase.

To bring such a file, or any other file from your Drive, into Esqase:

1. In Documents, open your synced Google Drive folder (or a folder inside it).
2. Click New, then Add from Google Drive.
3. Google's Add from Google Drive window opens on your synced folder in Google Drive, so the files you put there are right in front of you. You can also browse to other folders in your Drive. Folders are shown so you can open them, but you choose files, not folders. Choose up to 20 files, then confirm your choice in Google's window.
4. You see Adding 2 items from Google Drive..., then Added 2 items from Google Drive (with your own count), and the files arrive straight away. A file Esqase cannot add, such as one that is too large or already synced, is named in the message with the reason; if none could be added, the message reads Nothing was added from Google Drive.

Files you add appear at the top of your synced Google Drive folder in Esqase. They stay where they are in your Drive, and changes on either side keep syncing.

If you want every file you put in a folder to sync without adding it by hand, connect Microsoft OneDrive or Dropbox: both sync everything in the folder you choose.

When whole folder sync is turned on in Esqase, the Google Drive card reads Sync a Google Drive folder, create Google Docs, and convert them to PDF., and Google Drive works like OneDrive and Dropbox. Connecting asks Google for permission to see, edit, create, and delete the files in your Google Drive. You choose any folder in your My Drive, and everything in it syncs both ways, including files you add in Google Drive itself, folders you make there, and folders you move in. Add from Google Drive is not offered, because everything in your synced folder already syncs: to bring a file from elsewhere in your Drive into Esqase, put it into your synced folder in Google Drive, and it arrives with the next sync.

If you connected Google Drive before whole folder sync was turned on, Google first has to give Esqase the wider access, so Esqase asks you to reconnect once:

• On the Integrations page, the Google Drive card reads Reconnect so Esqase can sync everything in your Google Drive folder, including files you add in Google Drive itself. (or, if you have not chosen a folder yet, Reconnect before you choose a folder, so Esqase can sync everything in it.), and its more options (⋯) menu offers Reconnect.
• On the Cloud storage page, the Google Drive section shows a Reconnect button and a Folder access line that explains the change. If you have not chosen a folder yet, its status reads Needs reconnecting and Choose folder waits until you reconnect.

To reconnect, open the card's more options (⋯) menu on the Integrations page, click Reconnect, and approve with the same Google account, keeping every permission ticked. A folder you already sync keeps syncing where it is: Esqase looks through the whole folder again, and files you had added to it in Google Drive itself arrive in Esqase with that sync.

How changes flow both ways and how often

From your drive to Esqase. Every five minutes Esqase checks your drive for changes in the synced folder. To check straight away, click Sync now on the Cloud storage page, or in the card's more options (⋯) menu on the Integrations page.

• A new file or folder in the drive appears in Esqase.
• An edited file becomes a new version of the same file in Esqase (see Versions and conflicts).
• A rename, or a move to another folder inside the synced folder, is repeated in Esqase.
• A file or folder deleted in the drive moves to the Trash tab in Esqase.

From Esqase to your drive.

• A file you upload into the synced folder, or into a folder inside it, and a new version you upload of a synced file, go to the drive straight away.
• New folders, renames, moves inside the synced folder, and Move to Trash go with the next five-minute sync, or at once when you click Sync now.
• Edits to a document you write in Esqase reach its Word copy in the drive shortly after Esqase saves them. See Documents you write in Esqase.

Synced files show a small OneDrive, Google Drive, or Dropbox icon next to their name in the documents table, with the tooltip Synced with OneDrive, Synced with Google Drive, or Synced with Dropbox. On a synced file's own page, the Details tab shows Sync (for example, Synced with Microsoft OneDrive) and Last synced (or Waiting for the first sync).

Documents you write in Esqase

A rich-text document you write in the Esqase editor is kept in the synced folder as a Word file, so you, and anyone you share the drive folder with, can open it in Word or any app that reads Word files.

• A Word copy in the drive. Each document in the synced folder, or in a folder inside it, appears in the drive as a Word (.docx) file with the document's name and its images, for example Engagement letter.docx. That includes documents you create there, documents you move into the folder, and documents that were already there. Once the Word copy is in the drive, the document shows the drive's small icon in the documents table.
• Pictures the Word copy cannot carry. The Word copy carries the pictures stored with the document, such as the ones you upload, paste, or drop in, in PNG, JPEG, GIF, BMP, or WebP format, up to 10 MB each and 25 MB in all. A picture it cannot carry, such as one you added with Insert via URL, a picture in another format, or one past the 25 MB total, shows in the Word file as the note [Picture not included in this Word copy. Open the document in Esqase to see it.] The picture stays in the document in Esqase. Because the Word file then has fewer pictures than the document, every later edit to that Word file is saved as a conflicted copy instead of coming into the document (see When a Word file is saved as a conflicted copy), so make your changes to that document in Esqase.
• Your edits in Esqase update the Word copy. Esqase saves as you type, and the Word copy is updated shortly after, usually within a minute or two. Renaming the document, moving it within the synced folder, and changing its page setup update the Word copy the same way. Moving the document to Trash removes the Word copy from the drive with the next sync, and restoring the document puts a Word copy back. To remove a document everywhere, move it to Trash in Esqase.
• Edits to the Word copy come back. When you, or someone you share the folder with, edits the Word file in the drive, the next sync brings the change into the document in Esqase, including pictures added in Word: within five minutes, or straight away with Sync now. Renaming or moving the Word file within the synced folder renames or moves the document.
• Deleting the Word copy in the drive does not delete the document. The document stays in Esqase, and the next sync puts a fresh Word copy back in the drive. This is different from files, which move to the Trash tab in Esqase when you delete them in the drive. Deleting a whole folder inside the synced folder is different too: the folder and everything in it, documents you write in Esqase included, move to the Trash tab in Esqase, the same as for any folder you delete in the drive.
• Edit the Word copy in place. Some desktop apps save your changes by replacing the Word file with a new file of the same name. Esqase then sees the Word copy deleted and a new file added: your changes arrive in Esqase as a separate Word file next to the document, not in the document, and Esqase puts a fresh Word copy back in the drive, where the drive may add a number to its name (in OneDrive, for example, Engagement letter 1.docx). Nothing is lost, but the document does not get your changes. To keep your edits flowing into the document, open the Word copy and save it where it is, for example in Word for the web, rather than saving a new file over it.
• Every change from the drive is kept in the version history. The document's Version history gets a version named Changes from Microsoft OneDrive (or Changes from Google Drive, or Changes from Dropbox), and, whenever the change differs from what the document had, a version named Before changes from Microsoft OneDrive (or the other drive's name) keeps the document exactly as it was just before, so you can restore it. See View and restore content versions.
• Some formatting may not come back exactly. Text, headings, bold, italic, underline, lists, and images come back from the Word file. Formatting Esqase cannot read from Word, such as text colour, highlighting, font sizes, and alignment, can be lost on the way back; the Before changes from version still has it.

When a Word file is saved as a conflicted copy

Esqase never lets a change from the drive overwrite work in Esqase that the drive does not have yet, or bring in a change it cannot keep in full. In those cases it does not bring the change into the document. Instead it saves the drive's version as a separate Word file next to the document, named after the document with (conflicted copy and the date, for example Engagement letter (conflicted copy 2026-10-04).docx, and puts the Esqase version back into the Word file in the drive. This happens when the Word file changed in the drive and:

• the document also changed in Esqase since its Word copy was last updated, or someone edited it in Esqase in the last few minutes, or while Esqase was bringing the change in;
• the document is in a document review that is waiting for reviewers or already approved;
• Esqase could not read the Word file, for example because it is larger than 25 MB;
• the Word file has fewer pictures than the document, because a picture was deleted in Word or because the Word copy shows the Picture not included note in place of one;
• a picture in the Word file cannot be added in Esqase: an SVG picture, or a picture larger than 25 MB; or
• the Word file is too long to keep as one document in Esqase.

The conflicted copy is an ordinary file in the synced folder, so it also goes to your drive with the next sync, and the Files and folders line on the Cloud storage page counts it as a conflict. Compare the two, copy what you need into the document, then move the conflicted copy to Trash.

Esqase checks the Word file in the drive just before it updates it. If someone saved the Word file in the drive in the meantime, Esqase leaves the Word file alone. The next sync then brings the Word edits into the document, or saves them as a conflicted copy by the rules above.

Versions and conflicts

Nothing is overwritten without a trace. Every change that arrives from the drive is saved as a new version of the file in Esqase, and the earlier versions stay on the file's Versions tab. See Upload a new version of a file and view version history.

• Changed in both places between syncs. When a file was edited in the drive and a new version was also uploaded in Esqase before the next sync, the drive's copy wins: it becomes the current version in Esqase, and the Esqase version stays in the file's version history, one step back. The Files and folders line on the Cloud storage page counts these as conflicts. Open the Versions tab to compare the two and keep whichever you need.
• Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. Edit them in Google. Esqase keeps each one as a Word, Excel, or PowerPoint copy, and a new version you upload of that copy in Esqase stays in Esqase: it is not sent back to Google Drive. Renames, moves, and Move to Trash still go to Drive.
• A file out for signature. While a signature request on a file is waiting for signers, Esqase does not replace the file with a change from the drive. It takes the change once the request is finished or cancelled, and the version from before stays in the history.
• Documents you write in Esqase. Their Word copies follow their own rule: a change in the drive that would overwrite newer work in Esqase is saved as a conflicted copy instead. See When a Word file is saved as a conflicted copy.

Create a Word document or Google Doc from Esqase

1. In the sidebar, click Documents, then open the synced folder (My documents > folder name (OneDrive), (Google Drive), or (Dropbox)) or a folder inside it.
2. Click New, then Word document (OneDrive or Dropbox) or Google Doc (Google Drive).
3. In the New Word document or New Google Doc dialog, type a Document name, then click Create and open.
4. Esqase creates the file in that folder in your drive, adds it to the folder in Esqase, and opens it in a new tab in Word for the web, Google Docs, or Dropbox on the web. You see a message such as 'Engagement letter' created in Microsoft OneDrive, with an Open button in case your browser blocked the new tab.

Your edits to the file come back to Esqase as new versions, within five minutes or straight away with Sync now.

To open a synced Word, Excel, or PowerPoint file (including the copy of a Google Doc, Sheet, or Slides file) in its app later, open the file's More actions (...) menu, or its own page, and click Open in Word for the web (or Open in Excel for the web, Open in PowerPoint for the web, Open in Google Docs, Open in Google Sheets, Open in Google Slides, or, for a file in Dropbox, Open in Dropbox). The link opens the file in your drive, so a colleague can open it there only if you have shared it with them in OneDrive, Google Drive, or Dropbox.

Convert to PDF

You can turn a Word, Excel, PowerPoint, RTF, OpenDocument, or CSV file into a PDF without leaving Esqase.

1. On the file's row, open the More actions (...) menu and click Convert to PDF. (Or open the file and click Convert to PDF in its header; on a narrow screen it sits in the header's More actions menu.)
2. You see Converting to PDF..., then PDF created, and the new PDF opens on its own page.

The PDF is saved in the same folder as the original, with the same name and a .pdf ending (for example, Brief.docx becomes Brief.pdf). The original is not changed. If the original was already approved in a document review, the PDF carries that approval with it.

How Esqase converts the file:

• A file in a folder you synced, once its latest version has reached the drive, is converted by that drive. Dropbox converts Word, PowerPoint, RTF, and OpenDocument text and presentation files, but not spreadsheets (Excel, OpenDocument spreadsheet, and CSV files), so a spreadsheet in your Dropbox folder is treated like any other file below.
• Any other file, including a file in a folder a colleague synced, is converted through your OneDrive, if you have a OneDrive folder syncing. Esqase puts a temporary copy in its own app folder in your OneDrive, converts it, and moves the copy to your OneDrive recycle bin as soon as the PDF is ready.
• Otherwise, Esqase answers Connect Microsoft OneDrive or Google Drive from Settings to convert Office files to PDF. With only Google Drive connected, move the file into your synced Google Drive folder first, click Sync now, then convert it. With only Dropbox connected, you can do the same with a file Dropbox converts; a spreadsheet needs OneDrive or Google Drive.

Convert to PDF appears for members with Update access for documents, on Office files in a synced folder that the drive can convert and, once you have a OneDrive folder syncing, on any other Office file. Creating the PDF also needs Create access.

Request a signature on a Word file

Signatures are collected on PDFs, so a Word file (or any other Office file) is converted first. Esqase does both in one step.

1. On the file's row, open the More actions (...) menu and click Request signature (as PDF). (Or open the file and click Request signature (as PDF) in its header.)
2. Esqase converts the file as described in Convert to PDF and opens the new PDF, with the message PDF created. Add signers and fields to send it for signature.
3. Add your signers, place their fields, and send the request, exactly as for any PDF. See Requesting eSignatures.

When everyone has signed, the signed copy becomes the PDF's newest version. If the PDF sits in your synced folder, the signed copy goes to your drive too.

Trash and restore

In Esqase. Moving a synced file or folder to Trash removes it from the drive as well: the confirmation says It is also removed from OneDrive, and restoring it here puts it back (or Google Drive, or Dropbox). OneDrive keeps the removed item in its recycle bin, Google Drive in its trash, and Dropbox in its deleted files, where you can still restore it from Dropbox. Restoring the item from the Trash tab in Esqase uploads it to the drive again. For a Google Doc, Sheet, or Slides file, what goes back is the Word, Excel, or PowerPoint copy Esqase keeps, and for a document you wrote in Esqase, a new Word copy.

In the drive. Deleting a synced file or folder in OneDrive, Google Drive, or Dropbox moves it to the Trash tab in Esqase with the next sync. If you then restore it in the drive, the next sync brings it back into Esqase as a new file, and the earlier copy stays in the Esqase Trash. The Word copy of a document you wrote in Esqase is the exception: deleting it in the drive leaves the document in Esqase, and the next sync puts a fresh Word copy back. Deleting a folder that holds such documents still moves the folder and the documents in it to the Trash tab (see Documents you write in Esqase).

Disconnect

There are two ways to disconnect, and they do different things.

Stop syncing the folder, keep the connection.

1. Open Settings > Cloud storage.
2. In the drive's section, click Disconnect, then confirm in the Disconnect Microsoft OneDrive? (or Disconnect Google Drive?, or Disconnect Dropbox?) dialog.

Esqase stops syncing the folder. Files already in Esqase stay in Esqase, and files in the drive stay in the drive. The folder in Esqase becomes an ordinary folder you can rename, move, or trash. The account stays connected, so Choose folder appears again.

Disconnect the account.

1. On the Integrations page, open the card's more options (⋯) menu and click Disconnect.
2. Confirm in the Disconnect Microsoft OneDrive? (or Disconnect Google Drive?, or Disconnect Dropbox?) dialog.

Esqase stops syncing your folder and removes the connection. Files stay where they are on both sides. Disconnecting Dropbox also revokes Esqase's access with Dropbox. Disconnecting Google Drive leaves your other Google connections working, and Esqase revokes its access with Google only if Google Drive was the last Google service you had connected with that Google account. See Disconnect a Google integration. For OneDrive, to remove Esqase's access completely, also remove Esqase from your Microsoft account settings.

Limits

• One synced folder per drive, in each firm. OneDrive and Dropbox cannot sync the whole drive, and neither can Google Drive with whole folder sync; choose a folder inside it.
• A drive folder syncs with one firm at a time. If you belong to more than one firm, each firm needs its own folder. In OneDrive and Dropbox, and in Google Drive with whole folder sync, choose a folder that is not the one you sync with another firm, and not inside or above it. Without whole folder sync, Google Drive uses a folder named Esqase followed by the firm's name in brackets, for example Esqase (Smith Law), for your second firm, because the Esqase folder already syncs with the first. A folder that already syncs with another firm is refused with That folder already syncs with another firm you belong to. Disconnect it there first., and Add from Google Drive leaves out anything inside such a folder.
• Files larger than 100 MB do not sync, and Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides whose Office copy would be larger than 10 MB do not sync. Both are counted as skipped.
• Shared drives, SharePoint document libraries, files other people share with you in OneDrive or Google Drive, and Dropbox team spaces are not supported.
• Google Forms, Drawings, Sites, and other Google file types without a Word, Excel, or PowerPoint equivalent do not sync.
• Add from Google Drive is offered only without whole folder sync. It takes up to 20 files at a time, and cannot add a folder.
• A Word document or Google Doc name can be up to 200 characters, cannot start or end with a period, and cannot contain any of these characters: " * : < > ? / \ |.
• In Dropbox, Esqase adjusts a name that Dropbox or Windows would refuse: it replaces the characters " * : < > ? / \ | with _, drops spaces and periods at the end, and adds _ to names Dropbox keeps for itself (such as desktop.ini) or Windows reserves (such as CON or PRN). The name in Esqase does not change.
• Dropbox cannot rename an item when only the capital letters change, so a rename like contract.docx to Contract.docx in Esqase is not copied to Dropbox.
• In Dropbox, two files with the same name and identical contents in one folder in Esqase stay two separate files: Dropbox adds a number to the second one's name. The name in Esqase does not change.
• Changes from the drive arrive with the five-minute check, or when you click Sync now. There is no instant update from the drive.

Troubleshooting

Reconnect messages

• The status reads Needs reconnecting, or the last error says Microsoft OneDrive no longer accepts the saved sign-in. Reconnect Microsoft OneDrive from Settings. (or the same for Google Drive or Dropbox). The drive stopped accepting the sign-in Esqase saved, for example because Esqase was removed from your account's connected apps. On the Integrations page, open the card's more options (⋯) menu, click Reconnect, and approve again with the same account. Esqase says Reconnected. Syncing your folder again. and syncs your folder in the firm you are working in, so it picks up where it stopped. If you also sync a folder in another firm, switch to that firm, open Cloud storage, and click Sync now. Avoid Disconnect here: choosing a folder again makes a new folder in Esqase (see Disconnect).
• The card reads Reconnect to resume syncing your folder. The account was disconnected, for example from the Integrations page while you were working in another firm, but your folder here is still set up. Click Connect on the card and approve again with the same account. Esqase says Reconnected. Syncing your folder again. and the folder picks up where it stopped.
• The last error says Could not refresh the Microsoft OneDrive sign-in. Microsoft could not be reached for a moment. The next sync tries again on its own. If it keeps happening, reconnect as described above.
• An action says OneDrive needs to be reconnected. Reconnect OneDrive from Integrations and try again (or the same for Google Drive or Dropbox). Reconnect as described above.
• The Google Drive card or the Cloud storage page asks you to reconnect so Esqase can sync everything in your folder. Whole folder sync is now on, and Google has to give Esqase the wider access first. Reconnect as described in The Google Drive visibility rule.
• Syncing stopped on its own after many failures. After a long run of failed syncs in a row, Esqase stops checking the folder on its five-minute schedule. Fix the cause shown in Last error, then click Sync now; a successful sync starts the schedule again.

The Choose folder step

• Nothing is syncing, and the card reads Choose the folder to sync in Cloud storage settings. You connected the account but did not choose a folder. Click the settings button (the gear icon) on the card, or open Settings > Cloud storage, and click Choose folder.
• Select this folder is greyed out. You are at the top of the drive (My files in OneDrive, Dropbox in Dropbox, or My Drive in Google Drive). Open the folder you want to sync first.
• The folder dialog shows a red message instead of your folders. The message has a short title that says what went wrong and a line that says what to do, with a Try again button under it. When the connection itself is the problem, a Connect or Reconnect button sits beside Try again and opens the Integrations page. The titles you may see:
  • OneDrive is not connected (or Google Drive is not connected). Click Connect to open the Integrations page, then click Connect on the drive's card. Esqase brings you back to Cloud storage with the folder step open.
  • OneDrive needs to be reconnected (or Google Drive needs to be reconnected). Esqase can no longer reach the drive with the sign-in it saved. Click Reconnect to open the Integrations page. While no folder is syncing in this firm, the card's more options (⋯) menu has no Reconnect, so click Disconnect, confirm, then click Connect and approve with the same account. Esqase brings you back to Cloud storage with the folder step open. If you sync a folder with this drive in another firm, switch to that firm and use Reconnect in its card's menu instead, so that folder keeps syncing, then switch back and click Choose folder again.
  • Google Drive did not allow access (or OneDrive did not allow access). Reconnect the drive as described above and allow access to your files, then try again.
  • We couldn't open your Google Drive. Google did not let Esqase open My Drive. Click Try again. If it keeps happening, reconnect Google Drive as described above.
  • We couldn't open your OneDrive. Microsoft did not find a OneDrive for the account you connected. Make sure OneDrive is set up for that account, then click Try again.
  • We couldn't open your Dropbox. Dropbox did not let Esqase open your files. Click Try again. If it keeps happening, reconnect Dropbox as described above.
  • Reconnect Google Drive to choose a folder. Whole folder sync is on, and Google has not given Esqase the wider access yet. Click Reconnect and approve with the same Google account. See The Google Drive visibility rule.
  • That folder is no longer in OneDrive (or Dropbox, or Google Drive). The folder you opened was moved or deleted. Click an earlier step in the trail at the top of the dialog to go back, and choose another folder.
  • OneDrive did not allow access to that folder (or Dropbox, or Google Drive). Choose another folder, or check in the drive that your account can open it.
  • Other titles, such as OneDrive is not responding, Your Google Drive storage is full, or We couldn't load your folders, come with their own next step. Follow it, then click Try again.
• The last error says The synced folder was deleted in Microsoft OneDrive (or Google Drive, or Dropbox). The folder you chose no longer exists in the drive. On the Cloud storage page click Disconnect, then Choose folder and pick another one.
• The In Esqase line says the folder is in the trash, or the last error says The Esqase folder for this sync was deleted or moved to the trash. Restore the folder from the Trash tab in Documents to keep syncing. If it was deleted forever, click Disconnect, then Choose folder again.
• You see That folder already syncs with another firm you belong to. Disconnect it there first. A drive folder syncs with one firm at a time. Choose another folder, or switch to the other firm and click Disconnect there first. See Limits.
• Google Drive made a second folder named Esqase. Without whole folder sync, Esqase can only reuse an Esqase folder it made itself. A folder you created with that name is invisible to it, so it makes its own.

Admin approval in Microsoft work or school accounts

• Microsoft says you need admin approval, or that the app needs permission only an admin can grant. Your organisation's Microsoft 365 settings let only an administrator approve new apps. Ask your IT administrator to approve Esqase for your organisation in the Microsoft Entra admin center, then click Connect on the card again.
• You see Microsoft did not grant Esqase permission to read and write your OneDrive files. Connect again and accept every permission. The file permission was not granted. Connect again and accept every permission; if your organisation blocks it, ask your administrator as above.

Other problems

• You see Google did not grant Esqase permission to manage your Google Drive files. Connect again and keep every permission ticked. Click Connect on the Google Drive card again and leave every box ticked on Google's screen.
• You see Dropbox did not grant Esqase permission to read and write your Dropbox files. Connect again and allow every permission. Click Connect on the Dropbox card again and allow the access Esqase asks for.
• A file you put in the Esqase folder in Google Drive does not appear. Without whole folder sync, that is the visibility rule: add it with New > Add from Google Drive. If the Google Drive card asks you to reconnect, reconnect, and Esqase picks up the file with the next sync. See The Google Drive visibility rule.
• Add from Google Drive is missing from the New menu. It appears only inside your synced Google Drive folder or a folder inside it. With whole folder sync it is not offered at all: put the files into your synced folder in Google Drive instead, and they arrive with the next sync.
• Add from Google Drive does not let you choose a folder. Folders can only be opened there. Open the folder and choose the files inside it.
• You see Google Drive picking is not available yet. Adding files from Google Drive is not set up for your Esqase environment yet. Everything else about the Google Drive sync still works.
• You see Add from Google Drive is not available. Put the files in your synced Google Drive folder instead, and they come to Esqase on their own. Whole folder sync is on, so the page you had open was out of date. Put the files into your synced folder in Google Drive, then click Sync now on the Cloud storage page if you want them straight away.
• Word document or Google Doc is missing from the New menu. Open a folder that syncs with a drive you connected yourself.
• You see This folder has not synced yet. Choose Sync now in Settings, then try again. The folder is new and has not reached the drive yet. Click Sync now and try again.
• You see This file has changes that have not synced yet. Choose Sync now in Settings, then try again. The file was changed in Esqase and the drive does not have that version yet. Click Sync now, then convert again.
• You see Your OneDrive storage is full. Free up space and try again. (or the same for Google Drive or Dropbox). Free up space in the drive, then click Sync now.
• A file named with (conflicted copy appeared next to a document. The document's Word copy changed in the drive, and Esqase could not bring the change into the document, for example because the document had newer changes in Esqase or the Word file was missing a picture. See When a Word file is saved as a conflicted copy.
• A file keeps failing to reach the drive. When the drive refuses a file every time (for example, the drive is full or blocks that file type), Esqase stops trying after five failed attempts and counts it as skipped. Once you have fixed the cause, upload a new version of a file that never reached the drive to make Esqase try again. A file that is already in the drive starts syncing again the next time its copy in the drive changes.
• A new file in the drive does not arrive in Esqase. When Esqase cannot bring a new file or folder in from the drive, it tries again on the following syncs. After five failed attempts it stops and counts the item as skipped. If the item changes in the drive later, Esqase tries again. An item Esqase cannot read does not hold up the rest of the folder, which keeps syncing in the meantime.
• A sync shows as Failed with The sync run was interrupted. Use Sync now to run it again. Click Sync now.
• The last error says The account that connected this folder no longer has document permissions. Your role no longer includes the document access syncing needs. Ask a firm owner or administrator to restore View, Create, and Update access for documents.
• Open in Word for the web (or Google Docs, or Dropbox) does nothing. Your browser may have blocked the new tab. Allow pop-ups for Esqase and try again.

Common questions

• Does Esqase see my whole OneDrive? Microsoft's file permission covers your OneDrive, and Esqase uses it for the folder you choose, to list your folders while you choose one, and for the temporary copies it makes when converting a file that is not in that folder. To notice changes, Esqase reads OneDrive's list of recent changes and ignores everything outside your folder.
• Does Esqase see my whole Google Drive? Without whole folder sync, no. It sees only the files it created and the files you add with Add from Google Drive. With whole folder sync, Google's permission covers your Drive, and Esqase uses it for the folder you choose, to list your folders while you choose one, and for the temporary copies it makes when converting a file. To notice changes, Esqase reads Google Drive's list of recent changes and ignores everything outside your folder.
• Does Esqase see my whole Dropbox? Dropbox's permission covers the files and folders in your Dropbox, and Esqase uses it for the folder you choose and to list your folders while you choose one. To notice changes, it reads Dropbox's list of changes for your synced folder only.
• Can my colleagues see my synced folder? Only if you share it with them, like any other folder in My documents.
• Does Esqase replace a file I edited in Esqase with the drive's copy? Only when the same file changed in both places between syncs. The drive's copy becomes current and your Esqase version stays in the history. See Versions and conflicts. A document you write in Esqase is never replaced this way: the drive's version is saved as a conflicted copy instead (see When a Word file is saved as a conflicted copy).
• Why did my first sync show Partial? A large folder takes more than one sync to arrive in full. The next sync carries on where the last one stopped.

Related

• Integrations overview
• The documents workspace
• Requesting eSignatures
• Approvals for invoices and documents
• Editing documents (the file editor)
• Connecting Google (Gmail, Calendar, Meet)
• Connecting Outlook and Zoom
• Roles and permissions