rclone --min-size
Min-size helps suppress tiny files and prioritize larger objects that matter for archive or media workflows. This guide shows how to set thresholds that improve efficiency while avoiding accidental exclusion of legitimately important small files.
Syntax
rclone copy SRC DST --min-size 10M
Size Pattern Format
Rclone size values use binary units (KiB-based):
| Unit | Suffix | Bytes |
|---|---|---|
| Byte | b | 1 |
| Kibibyte | k or K | 1024 |
| Mebibyte | m or M | 1024^2 |
| Gibibyte | g or G | 1024^3 |
| Tebibyte | t or T | 1024^4 |
| Pebibyte | p or P | 1024^5 |
Common patterns:
| Intent | Value |
|---|---|
| Skip tiny files | 10M |
| Keep medium+ assets | 100M |
| Keep only large media | 1G |
Boundary behavior:
--min-size 10Mmeans files must be at least 10 MiB.- Validate thresholds with
--dry-run -vvbefore real transfers.
Examples with Output
1. Skip files under 10M
Input command:
rclone copy /srv/media remote:archive/media --min-size 10M --dry-run
Expected output:
NOTICE: min-size filter 10M applied
Would transfer 207 files
2. Archive only large videos
Input command:
rclone copy /srv/videos remote:cold/videos --min-size 500M --dry-run
Expected output:
NOTICE: only files >=500M selected
Would transfer 36 files
3. Keep tiny logs out
Input command:
rclone copy /var/log remote:archive/log --min-size 1M --dry-run
Expected output:
NOTICE: tiny logs filtered out
Would transfer 54 files
4. DB dumps larger than 50M
Input command:
rclone copy /srv/db-dumps remote:archive/db --min-size 50M --dry-run
Expected output:
NOTICE: db dumps >=50M selected
Would transfer 11 files
5. Combine with min-age
Input command:
rclone copy /srv/media remote:cold/media --min-size 300M --min-age 14d --dry-run
Expected output:
NOTICE: min-size + min-age filters active
Would transfer 24 files
6. Large release bundles only
Input command:
rclone copy /srv/releases remote:archive/releases --min-size 100M --dry-run
Expected output:
NOTICE: release bundles threshold 100M
Would transfer 9 files
7. With include type filter
Input command:
rclone copy /srv/media remote:archive/media --min-size 200M --include "**/*.mp4" --dry-run
Expected output:
NOTICE: only mp4 files >=200M selected
Would transfer 18 files
8. With checksum
Input command:
rclone copy /srv/data remote:archive/data --min-size 20M --checksum --dry-run
Expected output:
NOTICE: checksum mode enabled
Would transfer 33 changed files
9. With transfer tuning
Input command:
rclone copy /srv/media remote:archive/media --min-size 150M --transfers 6 --checkers 12 --dry-run
Expected output:
NOTICE: checkers=12 transfers=6
Would transfer 41 files
10. Sync large assets only
Input command:
rclone sync /srv/site/assets remote:archive/assets --min-size 25M --dry-run
Expected output:
NOTICE: large assets sync preview
Would transfer 27 files
11. Bandwidth-capped big file offload
Input command:
rclone copy /srv/media remote:archive/media --min-size 800M --bwlimit 15M --dry-run
Expected output:
NOTICE: bwlimit=15M applied
Would transfer 13 files
12. Exclude logs while selecting big files
Input command:
rclone copy /srv/app remote:archive/app --min-size 5M --exclude "**/*.log" --dry-run
Expected output:
NOTICE: min-size and exclude rules active
Would transfer 44 files
13. Verbose selection check
Input command:
rclone copy /srv/files remote:archive/files --min-size 100M --dry-run -vv
Expected output:
DEBUG: Excluded (too small): report-2026-02-20.pdf
INFO : 1 size filter rule active
14. Retention export for big objects
Input command:
rclone copy /srv/object-store remote:cold/objects --min-size 1G --min-age 30d --dry-run
Expected output:
NOTICE: object archive thresholds matched
Would transfer 7 files
15. Production-safe preview
Input command:
rclone sync /srv/media remote:archive/media --min-size 200M --dry-run -vv
Expected output:
NOTICE: dry-run enabled, no writes performed
Would transfer 32 files