Sparkle works best with files stored locally on your Mac. Sparkle also requires macOS 14 or later. If it is not recognizing your external or network drive, here is what to check:
First, grant Full Disk Access: Go to System Settings → Privacy & Security → Full Disk Access and make sure Sparkle is turned on.
For external drives: Make sure the drive appears in Finder before opening Sparkle.
For network drives: These can be limited by permissions and connection behavior. A good workaround is to organize files locally first, then move them to your network drive.
Cloud folder support
Cleanup is currently supported only for local iCloud Drive folders and local Google Drive folders that are synced to your Mac.
Sparkle does not organize cloud-only folders or other cloud folders at this time.