{"id":"duplicates.which-copy-is-kept-in-a-cloud-account","url":"/faq/duplicates/which-copy-is-kept-in-a-cloud-account","category":{"id":"duplicates","title":"Duplicate files"},"subcategory":{"id":"cloud-duplicates","title":"Duplicates in cloud accounts"},"question":"Which copy is kept when I clean duplicates in a cloud account?","alt_questions":["Suggested keeper cloud duplicates","Which Google Drive duplicate will be kept?","How does it choose the copy to keep in Dropbox?","Keep best, remove duplicates cloud"],"short_answer":"In a cloud account the suggested keeper is the copy nearest the top of the account, then the one with the shortest path. You can remove individual copies instead, and every confirmation names the copy that stays before anything is removed.","answer_markdown":"In a cloud account, the suggested copy to keep — marked **Keep** — is the one nearest the top of the account (the fewest folders deep), then the one with the shortest path. A file filed near the top is usually the one you meant to keep, while extra copies usually sit deeper inside folders.\n\nYou're not tied to it: use **Remove just this copy** on any individual copy instead, and the confirmation always names the copy that stays and where it is before anything is removed.","answer_html":"

In a cloud account, the suggested copy to keep — marked Keep — is the one nearest the top of the account (the fewest folders deep), then the one with the shortest path. A file filed near the top is usually the one you meant to keep, while extra copies usually sit deeper inside folders.

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You're not tied to it: use Remove just this copy on any individual copy instead, and the confirmation always names the copy that stays and where it is before anything is removed.

","answer_text":"In a cloud account, the suggested copy to keep — marked Keep — is the one nearest the top of the account (the fewest folders deep), then the one with the shortest path. A file filed near the top is usually the one you meant to keep, while extra copies usually sit deeper inside folders.\n\nYou're not tied to it: use Remove just this copy on any individual copy instead, and the confirmation always names the copy that stays and where it is before anything is removed.","tags":["duplicates","cloud","keep"],"related":[{"id":"duplicates.which-copy-does-storage-studio-recommend-keeping","question":"Which copy does Storage Studio recommend keeping, and why?","url":"/faq/duplicates/which-copy-does-storage-studio-recommend-keeping"},{"id":"duplicates.how-do-i-remove-cloud-duplicates","question":"How do I remove duplicate copies from a cloud account?","url":"/faq/duplicates/how-do-i-remove-cloud-duplicates"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"Which copy is kept when I clean duplicates in a cloud account? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"In a cloud account the suggested keeper is the copy nearest the top of the account, then the one with the shortest path. You can remove individual copies instead, and every confirmation names the copy that stays before anything is removed.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"Duplicate files","path":"/faq/duplicates/"},{"name":"Which copy is kept when I clean duplicates in a cloud account?","path":"/faq/duplicates/which-copy-is-kept-in-a-cloud-account"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/duplicates/which-copy-is-kept-in-a-cloud-account","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Which copy is kept when I clean duplicates in a cloud account?","alternateName":["Suggested keeper cloud duplicates","Which Google Drive duplicate will be kept?","How does it choose the copy to keep in Dropbox?","Keep best, remove duplicates cloud"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"In a cloud account, the suggested copy to keep — marked Keep — is the one nearest the top of the account (the fewest folders deep), then the one with the shortest path. A file filed near the top is usually the one you meant to keep, while extra copies usually sit deeper inside folders.\n\nYou're not tied to it: use Remove just this copy on any individual copy instead, and the confirmation always names the copy that stays and where it is before anything is removed.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/duplicates/which-copy-is-kept-in-a-cloud-account"}}]},"fragment":"
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Duplicate files · Duplicates in cloud accounts

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Which copy is kept when I clean duplicates in a cloud account?

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Short answer: In a cloud account the suggested keeper is the copy nearest the top of the account, then the one with the shortest path. You can remove individual copies instead, and every confirmation names the copy that stays before anything is removed.

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In a cloud account, the suggested copy to keep — marked Keep — is the one nearest the top of the account (the fewest folders deep), then the one with the shortest path. A file filed near the top is usually the one you meant to keep, while extra copies usually sit deeper inside folders.

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You're not tied to it: use Remove just this copy on any individual copy instead, and the confirmation always names the copy that stays and where it is before anything is removed.

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Last reviewed

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