Storage constrained synchronization of shared content items

A system comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• a memory coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the memory includes instructions executable by the one or more processors to:
• access a client device associated with a user account of a content management system, wherein a plurality of content items stored on the content management system are stored in association with the user account;
• generate a first shadow item based on a first content item from the plurality of content items, the first content item comprising content data and metadata, and the first shadow item comprising a data file that:
• comprises metadata from the first content item;
• and
• does not contain the content data of the first content item;
• provide, to the client device, the first shadow item to be stored within a file system of the client device based on the client device being associated with the user account of the content management system.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

• access a file system of a client device associated with a user account of a content management system, wherein a plurality of content items stored on the content management system are stored in association with the user account;
• access a first content item from the plurality of content items, the first content item comprising content data and metadata, and
• replace the first content item with a first shadow item corresponding to the first content item, the first shadow item comprising a data file that:
• comprises at least a portion of the metadata from the first content item;
• and
• does not contain the content data of the first content item.