--files-from filter not working

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1

What is the problem you are having with rclone?

All files are not being recognized when using the –files-from option.

files.txt contains:
test1.txt
test2.txt

Run the command 'rclone version' and share the full output of the command.

rclone v1.73.4

  • os/version: Microsoft Windows 10 Home 22H2 22H2 (64 bit)
  • os/kernel: 10.0.19045.7058 (x86_64)
  • os/type: windows
  • os/arch: amd64
  • go/version: go1.25.9
  • go/linking: static
  • go/tags: cmount

Which cloud storage system are you using? (eg Google Drive)

Dropbox

The command you were trying to run (eg rclone copy /tmp remote:tmp)

 rclone copy "dropbox:/test" "dropbox:/test2" --files-from=files.txt -vv

Please run 'rclone config redacted' and share the full output. If you get command not found, please make sure to update rclone.

[dropbox]
type = dropbox
token = XXX

A log from the command that you were trying to run with the -vv flag

2026/04/09 11:49:46 DEBUG : rclone: Version "v1.73.4" starting with parameters ["C:\\rclone\\rclone.exe" "copy" "dropbox:/test" "dropbox:/test2" "--files-from=files.txt" "-vv"]
2026/04/09 11:49:46 DEBUG : Creating backend with remote "dropbox:/test"
2026/04/09 11:49:46 DEBUG : Using config file from "C:\\Users\\user1\\AppData\\Roaming\\rclone\\rclone.conf"
2026/04/09 11:49:47 DEBUG : Dropbox root '': Using root namespace "1351651651"
2026/04/09 11:49:47 DEBUG : fs cache: renaming cache item "dropbox:/test" to be canonical "dropbox:test"
2026/04/09 11:49:47 DEBUG : Creating backend with remote "dropbox:/test2"
2026/04/09 11:49:48 DEBUG : Dropbox root '': Using root namespace "1351651651"
2026/04/09 11:49:48 DEBUG : fs cache: renaming cache item "dropbox:/test2" to be canonical "dropbox:test2"
2026/04/09 11:49:49 DEBUG : test.txt: Excluded (FilesFrom Filter)
2026/04/09 11:49:49 DEBUG : test.txt: Excluded
2026/04/09 11:49:49 DEBUG : test1.txt: Excluded (FilesFrom Filter)
2026/04/09 11:49:49 DEBUG : test1.txt: Excluded
2026/04/09 11:49:49 DEBUG : test2.txt: Excluded (FilesFrom Filter)
2026/04/09 11:49:49 DEBUG : test2.txt: Excluded
2026/04/09 11:49:49 DEBUG : Dropbox root '/test': Waiting for checks to finish
2026/04/09 11:49:49 DEBUG : Dropbox root '/test': Waiting for transfers to finish
2026/04/09 11:49:49 INFO  : There was nothing to transfer
2026/04/09 11:49:49 INFO  :
Transferred:              0 B / 0 B, -, 0 B/s, ETA -
Checks:                 0 / 0, -, Listed 3
Elapsed time:         0.3s

2026/04/09 11:49:49 DEBUG : 8 go routines active
2026/04/09 11:49:49 INFO  : Dropbox root 'test': Committing uploads - please wait...
2026/04/09 11:49:49 INFO  : Dropbox root 'test2': Committing uploads - please wait...
2

Make sure you read docs:

especially have a look at included examples.

In your case:

will only apply to files in your source root and not in any sub directories.

3

The files are in the source folder, not in a subdirectory

4

so the files are in the root of the source folder?

can you post the output of rclone tree dropbox:/test -all --full-path --dirsfirst --level=1 -vv
please redact sensitive filenames as needed.

might try testing using --include="test1.txt"

5

./rclone tree dropbox:/test -all --full-path --dirsfirst --level=1 -vv
2026/04/10 09:17:22 DEBUG : rclone: Version "v1.73.4" starting with parameters ["C:\rclone\rclone.exe" "tree" "dropbox:/test" "-all" "--full-path" "--dirsfirst" "--level=1" "-vv"]
2026/04/10 09:17:22 DEBUG : Creating backend with remote "dropbox:/test"
2026/04/10 09:17:22 DEBUG : Using config file from "C:\Users\user1\AppData\Roaming\rclone\rclone.conf"
2026/04/10 09:17:23 DEBUG : Dropbox root '': Using root namespace "1351651651"
2026/04/10 09:17:23 DEBUG : fs cache: renaming cache item "dropbox:/test" to be canonical "dropbox:test"
2026/04/10 09:17:23 DEBUG : Stat: filePath="/"
2026/04/10 09:17:23 DEBUG : >Stat: fi=, err=
2026/04/10 09:17:23 DEBUG : ReadDir: dir=/
2026/04/10 09:17:23 DEBUG : >ReadDir: names=[test.txt test1.txt test2.txt], err=
2026/04/10 09:17:23 DEBUG : Stat: filePath="\test.txt"
2026/04/10 09:17:23 DEBUG : >Stat: fi=test.txt, err=
2026/04/10 09:17:23 DEBUG : Stat: filePath="\test1.txt"
2026/04/10 09:17:23 DEBUG : >Stat: fi=test1.txt, err=
2026/04/10 09:17:23 DEBUG : Stat: filePath="\test2.txt"
2026/04/10 09:17:23 DEBUG : >Stat: fi=test2.txt, err=
/
├── \test.txt
├── \test1.txt
└── \test2.txt

0 directories, 3 files
2026/04/10 09:17:23 DEBUG : 6 go routines active
2026/04/10 09:17:23 INFO : Dropbox root 'test': Committing uploads - please wait...

6

seems to working ok

rclone touch dropbox:test/test.txt 
rclone touch dropbox:test/test1.txt
rclone touch dropbox:test/test2.txt 

type .\files.txt 
test1.txt
test2.txt

rclone ls dropbox:test 
        0 test.txt
        0 test1.txt
        0 test2.txt

rclone copy dropbox:test dropbox:test2 --files-from=./files.txt -vv 
DEBUG : rclone: Version "v1.73.3" starting with parameters ["d:\\data\\rclone\\rclone.exe" "copy" "dropbox:test" "dropbox:test2" "--files-from=./files.txt" "-vv"]
DEBUG : Creating backend with remote "dropbox:test"
DEBUG : Using config file from "d:\\data\\rclone\\rclone.conf"
DEBUG : Creating backend with remote "dropbox:test2"
DEBUG : test.txt: Excluded (FilesFrom Filter)
DEBUG : test.txt: Excluded
DEBUG : test1.txt: Need to transfer - File not found at Destination
DEBUG : test2.txt: Need to transfer - File not found at Destination
DEBUG : Dropbox root 'test2': Waiting for checks to finish
DEBUG : Dropbox root 'test2': Waiting for transfers to finish
DEBUG : test1.txt: size = 0 OK
DEBUG : test1.txt: dropbox = e3b0c44298fc1c149afbf4c8996fb92427ae41e4649b934ca495991b7852b855 OK
INFO  : test1.txt: Copied (server-side copy)
DEBUG : test2.txt: size = 0 OK
DEBUG : test2.txt: dropbox = e3b0c44298fc1c149afbf4c8996fb92427ae41e4649b934ca495991b7852b855 OK
INFO  : test2.txt: Copied (server-side copy)
INFO  : 
Transferred:   	          0 B / 0 B, -, 0 B/s, ETA -
Checks:                 0 / 0, -, Listed 3
Transferred:            2 / 2, 100%
Server Side Copies:     2 @ 0 B
Elapsed time:         2.1s
7

FYI - I was just testing it as well. The same results as yours. All works as expected.

8

maybe there is some issue with files.txt ?

9

Maybe it is not the file OP thinks is really using?

@phil1 Could you double check?

10

good point.
that is why i included type .\files.txt

11

I’m stumped. Did your exact commands:
type .\files.txt
test1.txt
test2.txt
rclone copy "dropbox:/test" "dropbox:/test2" --files-from=./files.txt -vv
2026/04/10 10:37:38 DEBUG : rclone: Version "v1.73.4" starting with parameters ["C:\rclone\rclone.exe" "copy" "dropbox:/test" "dropbox:/test2" "--files-from=./files.txt" "-vv"]
2026/04/10 10:37:38 DEBUG : Creating backend with remote "dropbox:/test"
2026/04/10 10:37:38 DEBUG : Using config file from "C:\Users\user1\AppData\Roaming\rclone\rclone.conf"
2026/04/10 10:37:39 DEBUG : Dropbox root '': Using root namespace "1351651651"
2026/04/10 10:37:39 DEBUG : fs cache: renaming cache item "dropbox:/test" to be canonical "dropbox:test"
2026/04/10 10:37:39 DEBUG : Creating backend with remote "dropbox:/test2"
2026/04/10 10:37:41 DEBUG : Dropbox root '': Using root namespace "1351651651"
2026/04/10 10:37:41 DEBUG : fs cache: renaming cache item "dropbox:/test2" to be canonical "dropbox:test2"
2026/04/10 10:37:41 DEBUG : test.txt: Excluded (FilesFrom Filter)
2026/04/10 10:37:41 DEBUG : test.txt: Excluded
2026/04/10 10:37:41 DEBUG : test1.txt: Excluded (FilesFrom Filter)
2026/04/10 10:37:41 DEBUG : test1.txt: Excluded
2026/04/10 10:37:41 DEBUG : test2.txt: Excluded (FilesFrom Filter)
2026/04/10 10:37:41 DEBUG : test2.txt: Excluded
2026/04/10 10:37:41 DEBUG : Dropbox root 'test2': Waiting for checks to finish
2026/04/10 10:37:41 DEBUG : Dropbox root 'test2': Waiting for transfers to finish
2026/04/10 10:37:41 INFO : There was nothing to transfer
2026/04/10 10:37:41 INFO :
Transferred: 0 B / 0 B, -, 0 B/s, ETA -
Checks: 0 / 0, -, Listed 3
Elapsed time: 0.2s

2026/04/10 10:37:41 DEBUG : 8 go routines active
2026/04/10 10:37:41 INFO : Dropbox root 'test': Committing uploads - please wait...
2026/04/10 10:37:41 INFO : Dropbox root 'test2': Committing uploads - please wait...
PS C:\rclone>

12

with dropbox, dropbox:/test might not be the same as dropbox:test

so, try this script which creates on-the-fly, files.txt and the files in dropbox

echo test1.txt 1>files.txt 
echo test2.txt 1>>files.txt 

type files.txt 
test1.txt
test2.txt

rclone delete dropbox:test 
rclone delete dropbox:test2 

rclone touch dropbox:test/test.txt 
rclone touch dropbox:test/test1.txt 
rclone touch dropbox:test/test2.txt 

rclone ls dropbox:test 
        0 test.txt
        0 test1.txt
        0 test2.txt

rclone ls dropbox:test --files-from=files.txt -vv 
DEBUG : rclone: Version "v1.73.3" starting with parameters ["d:\\data\\rclone\\rclone.exe" "ls" "dropbox:test" "--files-from=files.txt" "-vv"]
DEBUG : Creating backend with remote "dropbox:test"
DEBUG : Using config file from "d:\\data\\rclone\\rclone.conf"
DEBUG : test.txt: Excluded (FilesFrom Filter)
DEBUG : test.txt: Excluded
        0 test1.txt
        0 test2.txt
13

IGNORE.. I see you already posted it

=======

BTW. What is your dropbox config?

Post result of:

$ rclone config redacted dropbox:

14

that is from using a slash in the remote path

15

Without the slash it does not resolve:

rclone ls dropbox:test
2026/04/13 09:23:00 ERROR : error listing: directory not found
2026/04/13 09:23:00 NOTICE: Failed to ls with 2 errors: last error was: directory not found
rclone ls dropbox:/test
0 test.txt
0 test1.txt
0 test2.txt

How do I change that?

16

need to post the debug output

no need to change. read the documenation...

17

rclone ls dropbox:test -vv
2026/04/13 11:50:25 DEBUG : rclone: Version "v1.73.4" starting with parameters ["C:\rclone\rclone.exe" "ls" "dropbox:test" "-vv"]
2026/04/13 11:50:25 DEBUG : Creating backend with remote "dropbox:test"
2026/04/13 11:50:25 DEBUG : Using config file from "C:\Users\sydexnet\AppData\Roaming\rclone\rclone.conf"
2026/04/13 11:50:25 ERROR : error listing: directory not found
2026/04/13 11:50:25 DEBUG : 6 go routines active
2026/04/13 11:50:25 INFO : Dropbox root 'test': Committing uploads - please wait...
2026/04/13 11:50:25 NOTICE: Failed to ls with 2 errors: last error was: directory not found

Can you point me towards the appropriate part of the documentation? I’ve read the –files-from section

18

It sounds like you're running into one of those tricky syntax issues that Rclone is known for when it comes to filtering. Usually, when the "files-from" flag isn't behaving, it's either a trailing space in the text file or a slight mismatch in the relative pathing between where the command is running and where the files actually sit. One thing that helps me when I'm debugging complex filters is to run the list through a quick text-cleaning tool or a line-endings validator first. Sometimes a hidden character or a weird encoding in the source list is all it takes for Rclone to ignore a line entirely. If you've already checked the paths, maybe try a dry run with just a couple of files in the list to see if it’s a scale issue or a formatting one.