{"id":"duplicates.what-does-doesnt-publish-file-fingerprints-mean","url":"/faq/duplicates/what-does-doesnt-publish-file-fingerprints-mean","category":{"id":"duplicates","title":"Duplicate files"},"subcategory":{"id":"cloud-duplicates","title":"Duplicates in cloud accounts"},"question":"What does it mean when a cloud account \"doesn't publish file fingerprints\"?","alt_questions":["doesn't publish file fingerprints, so we can't compare files there","Why can't Storage Studio check this account for duplicates?","Cloud account not supported for duplicates","No content fingerprint for duplicates"],"short_answer":"The service doesn't provide content fingerprints, so its files can't be compared without downloading every one — which Storage Studio won't do. It means \"we couldn't look\", not \"no duplicates\"; your files there are untouched.","answer_markdown":"It means the service doesn't provide content fingerprints for its files, so there's no way to tell identical files apart without downloading every one of them — which Storage Studio won't do. The message reads *\"… doesn't publish file fingerprints, so we can't compare files there without downloading them — which we won't do.\"*\n\nIt's an honest \"we couldn't look\", not \"there are no duplicates\". Your files in that account are untouched. Other accounts, and your Mac, are checked normally.","answer_html":"

It means the service doesn't provide content fingerprints for its files, so there's no way to tell identical files apart without downloading every one of them — which Storage Studio won't do. The message reads "… doesn't publish file fingerprints, so we can't compare files there without downloading them — which we won't do."

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It's an honest "we couldn't look", not "there are no duplicates". Your files in that account are untouched. Other accounts, and your Mac, are checked normally.

","answer_text":"It means the service doesn't provide content fingerprints for its files, so there's no way to tell identical files apart without downloading every one of them — which Storage Studio won't do. The message reads \"… doesn't publish file fingerprints, so we can't compare files there without downloading them — which we won't do.\"\n\nIt's an honest \"we couldn't look\", not \"there are no duplicates\". Your files in that account are untouched. Other accounts, and your Mac, are checked normally.","tags":["duplicates","cloud","error message"],"related":[{"id":"duplicates.does-duplicate-scanning-download-my-cloud-files","question":"Does checking a cloud account for duplicates download my files?","url":"/faq/duplicates/does-duplicate-scanning-download-my-cloud-files"},{"id":"duplicates.why-dont-google-docs-show-up-in-duplicates","question":"Why don't Google Docs, Sheets and Slides show up in duplicates?","url":"/faq/duplicates/why-dont-google-docs-show-up-in-duplicates"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"What does it mean when a cloud account \"doesn't publish file fingerprints\"? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"The service doesn't provide content fingerprints, so its files can't be compared without downloading every one — which Storage Studio won't do. It means \"we couldn't look\", not \"no duplicates\"; your files there are untouched.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"Duplicate files","path":"/faq/duplicates/"},{"name":"What does it mean when a cloud account \"doesn't publish file fingerprints\"?","path":"/faq/duplicates/what-does-doesnt-publish-file-fingerprints-mean"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/duplicates/what-does-doesnt-publish-file-fingerprints-mean","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"What does it mean when a cloud account \"doesn't publish file fingerprints\"?","alternateName":["doesn't publish file fingerprints, so we can't compare files there","Why can't Storage Studio check this account for duplicates?","Cloud account not supported for duplicates","No content fingerprint for duplicates"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"It means the service doesn't provide content fingerprints for its files, so there's no way to tell identical files apart without downloading every one of them — which Storage Studio won't do. The message reads \"… doesn't publish file fingerprints, so we can't compare files there without downloading them — which we won't do.\"\n\nIt's an honest \"we couldn't look\", not \"there are no duplicates\". Your files in that account are untouched. Other accounts, and your Mac, are checked normally.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/duplicates/what-does-doesnt-publish-file-fingerprints-mean"}}]},"fragment":"
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Duplicate files · Duplicates in cloud accounts

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What does it mean when a cloud account "doesn't publish file fingerprints"?

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Short answer: The service doesn't provide content fingerprints, so its files can't be compared without downloading every one — which Storage Studio won't do. It means "we couldn't look", not "no duplicates"; your files there are untouched.

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It means the service doesn't provide content fingerprints for its files, so there's no way to tell identical files apart without downloading every one of them — which Storage Studio won't do. The message reads "… doesn't publish file fingerprints, so we can't compare files there without downloading them — which we won't do."

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It's an honest "we couldn't look", not "there are no duplicates". Your files in that account are untouched. Other accounts, and your Mac, are checked normally.

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