Getting started as a new admin for an existing team

Alex has just joined a busy marketing team as their new Dropbox admin. His responsibilities include managing the team’s Dropbox account, ensuring efficient access to resources, and maintaining data security. To get up to speed, Alex dives into several key areas:

Team member role

Alex realizes that before he dives into all the extra permissions he has as an admin, he should also learn the ins and outs of using Dropbox as a team member. His first move is to take the same training as the members on his team, the Dropbox team member course.

Members and groups

For a new Dropbox admin like Alex, understanding how to manage Members and Groups is key to organizing and controlling access within the team’s Dropbox account.

Alex attends the live training for Dropbox admins where he learns how to add new members, and add those members to groups which represent functional teams, like the Marketing department, or cross-functional client teams. One of his first actions as an admin is to create a new group for the incoming group of interns.

Alex also learns how to remove members and when it’s better to suspend a member instead of deleting them, such as for an intern who’ll return to your organization again later.

Activity and audit logs

Alex checks the external sharing tab in the Security section of the admin console for visibility into what files, folders, and shared links are shared with people outside of the team and details about how they were shared.

He can also manage access to those files and folders from the external sharing tab. This allows him to address any potential issues, like unauthorized access or accidental file deletions.

Alex knows that regularly monitoring activity reports will help him keep track of file access and sharing activity, making it easier to spot any unusual changes or unauthorized access. Alex also responds to any security alerts he receives.

File recovery and version history

Alex learns how to restore deleted files and revert to previous versions of documents.

This knowledge quickly proves useful when someone accidentally deletes an important presentation file the day before a big client meeting.

Alex familiarizes himself with the team’s current settings. Checking who has access to what, ensuring permissions align with each person’s role, and adjusting if necessary.

This gives him a clear overview of his team's Dropbox structure and existing access levels, and ensures that team members have the preferred level of access to the files they need without compromising security.

Team folder structure and organization

Alex works with individual departments to set up specific team folders for new projects, such as social media campaigns and client proposals.

To improve organization, Alex reviews the ‘existing’ folder structures and recommends logical hierarchies to his business partners.

Storage and space management

While the team is expanding its content creation, Alex is curious about what content is driving growth in the team’s storage. Alex can determine through a Team Storage Report if growth is from team folders or subfolders, private content, externally-owned shared folders, or even archived team folders. If needed, Alex will set limits for individual team members.

To safeguard team data, Alex looks into ways he can better align with his organization's security policies. He implements two-step verification for all team members. He also sets up password policies to enhance account security.

This approach allows a new Dropbox admin like Alex to gradually master essential tasks while creating immediate value for their team.