# Duplicate Detection Duplicate files waste storage and can clutter your drive over time. The Duplicates feature automatically identifies files with identical content in your drive so you can review and clean them up, without the risk of accidentally removing something important. ### How It Works When files are uploaded to your drive, each one is assigned a unique fingerprint based on its content. These fingerprints are periodically compared to identify files with identical contents. When two or more files share the same fingerprint, they are flagged as duplicates, regardless of their filename or location in the drive. ### Accessing Duplicates In the left sidebar, find your drive under **My Drives** and click **Duplicates** in the drive's navigation menu. This opens the **Duplicate Files** view, which lists all duplicate groups detected in that drive. Each group shows: * A thumbnail preview of the file * The filename * The number of copies found * The file type * The total storage being wasted by the extra copies You can expand any group to see the individual copies side by side, along with each file's size.
### Cleaning Up Duplicates From within the Duplicates view you have two options: **Delete copies:** Select the files you want to remove and move them to the trash directly from this view. This is the fastest way to reclaim storage. Before deleting, make sure the copy you're removing isn't referenced somewhere important (such as a collection or a shared link). **Navigate to the files:** If you're unsure whether it's safe to delete a copy, right click to reveal the asset in its original location first. This lets you check its context, such as what projects it might be linked to, before deleting it. ### Things to Keep in Mind * Duplicates are detected per drive. If the same file exists across two different drives, it will not be flagged here. * Deleting a file that is linked or embedded elsewhere may break those references. When in doubt, navigate to the file and review its usage before deleting. * The duplicate list refreshes periodically, so newly uploaded files may not appear immediately. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://academy.shade.inc/assets/duplicate-detection.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.