There’s no shame in saving a flow chart for quick reference.Ĥ Effective Folder Structures to Organize Files Make a cheat sheet: It’s OK if you don’t have every single folder memorized. Keep folders unique: Make sure there’s no overlap in what goes into your folders (e.g., there shouldn’t be two places you’re keeping invoices for the same project). Think of folder names as keywords: Keep in mind that you can search for files using folder names the more specific, the more quickly you’ll find what you’re looking for. Or, even better: save yourself from the hassle of manually re-creating your structure over and over again by setting up a Zap to do it for you. Here are some tips from digital asset management expert Edward Smith:Ĭreate a template: Copy and paste it every time you start a new project or task. There’s no file management silver bullet, but there are a few tricks to help your file structure be successful. If you want to maintain your folder structure long-term, you’ll want to make sure everyone understands (and hopefully likes!) the system. For company projects, pick something that works well for everyone in the team, since everyone may not search for a file or folder in the same way you do. If your method of organization is tedious, it’s going to be tough for the rest of your team to follow along. Or do you work around projects? Consider new folders for each project.īrowsing through your folders and finding files should be intuitive. Do you plan important tasks by quarter? A new folder for each quarter's work might be good. The best folder structure is the one that mimics the way you work.

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