To delete empty files in Google Drive by hand, you'd have to open every folder and check the size column. Wistorix gathers every 0 byte file into one list after each scan, with its location and owner, so you can delete them in bulk.
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Find every 0 byte file in Google Drive
Empty files appear when an upload is cut off, a desktop sync fails, or someone creates a file and never uses it. Google Drive has no filter for them. Wistorix collects every 0 byte file into one list after each scan.
See where each empty file lives
Each file shows its folder path, owner and creation date. You can tell right away which project it belongs to and whether it's a failed upload you need to redo.
Delete empty files in bulk
Select all of them or pick them one by one, then move them to the Trash. No opening folders, no deleting files one at a time.
How to delete empty files in Google Drive
- Scan your Drive. Install the Wistorix Chrome extension, sign in and run a scan. Scanning is always free.
- Open the empty files group. Review the list of 0 byte files and where they are. Note any failed uploads you need to redo.
- Delete in bulk. Select the empty files and move them to the Trash. They stay in the Google Drive Trash for 30 days in case you need one back.
Does deleting empty files free up storage?
Not in any meaningful way, because a 0 byte file takes up almost no space. The benefits are elsewhere:
- Fewer meaningless results when you search Drive
- Tidier project folders before you hand them to a client
- You catch failed uploads you thought you had a full copy of
To get storage back, see free up storage.
When to keep an empty file
Some empty files are created on purpose, such as placeholder files that a sync tool or an internal process relies on. If you see many empty files with the same name across project folders, ask whoever created them before deleting.
Related tools
- Orphaned File Finder for Google Drive
- Export a Google Drive File List with Permissions
- Google Drive Public Link Scanner
- All Google Drive tools
- Free up storage
Read more on the blog
Frequently asked questions
What is an empty file in Google Drive?
A file with a size of 0 bytes, usually left by an interrupted upload, a sync error or a file created by mistake.
Why does Drive show a 0 byte file when my upload finished?
Usually the connection dropped or the desktop sync app failed partway through. Check the original on your computer and upload it again.
Can I get back an empty file I deleted by mistake?
Yes, within 30 days. Deleted files sit in the Google Drive Trash before they are removed for good.
Does Wistorix find empty folders?
Wistorix focuses on files. How to deal with empty folders is covered in our guide to Google Drive empty folders.
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