3 steps to a better folder structure

It is easy to lose track of your documents and files in the digital jungle. We take a look at the steps anyone can take to quickly build a flexible, transferable, and long-term folder structure.

As humans, we crave structure in our lives. Structures provide stability and allow us to make sense of the world and events. We appreciate structures most when we have control over them and can adapt them to our lives even better.

It is not just physical items that get lost without structure. In the digital world, everyone knows the feeling of being unable to find a file they urgently need. It has simply vanished, swallowed by the depths of the folder chaos on your computer.

However, unlike a physical filing system, the digital world is more forgiving of such mistakes, as they can be rectified relatively quickly. With just a little discipline and three simple steps, anyone can set up a smart, straightforward, and efficient folder system for any purpose.

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What makes a good folder structure?

First, it is important to have a goal in mind: do I actually need a better folder structure? What do I want to achieve with it?

In general, a good folder structure should:

- work in the long term.
- be flexible.
- be understandable for other team members.
- ideally be transferable to other systems.

Whether on your PC, in the cloud, or on the CAYA platform – these principles for a sensible folder structure apply everywhere. Even as an individual, you should consider building your folder structure from the perspective of a hypothetical team member who needs to find a file on your computer. When you save a file to this system, you must ask yourself: how will I find this file in two years' time without searching for ages?

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Higher productivity through organisation

But why bother? Disorganisation causes stress. Avoiding stress is incredibly important in today's society, which is characterised by a fast pace and increasing pressure. Only when we are stress-free do we feel comfortable and able to perform at our mental and physical best.

Now, even the best folder structure does not work by itself. All files still need to be manually saved and sorted. Even if this step only takes a few seconds, everyone knows the feeling of an overflowing, unsorted Downloads folder. We constantly intend to sort it out in a quiet moment, but it just keeps filling up. Therefore, self-discipline and regular maintenance of the folder structure are just as important as a good system. You must set clear filing rules for yourself and your team. These may, if necessary, move away from intuitive and classic categorisation if that is the only way to achieve the goal of a long-term folder structure.

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Step 1: Sensible file naming

The search function is certainly a good feature for finding files again – even in two years' time. However, the best search is useless if your files are not named consistently and clearly. This is perhaps the most important step and the one that requires the most discipline. As soon as you save a file, it should already be named according to your scheme. Ideally, you will know in a split second whether you are looking at the file you need. The filename should, of course, not exceed a certain length. How exactly you manage this balancing act is up to you, but we are happy to give you a few tips to keep in mind:

- Decide on a single separator. Whether you use "-" or "_" does not matter.
- The date should be at the beginning of the filename in YYYYMMDD format to allow for chronological sorting by name.
- Other possible components of the name could include, for example, a name (or abbreviation), version number, a keyword regarding the content, or document status (e.g., draft, discarded, excerpt, etc.).
- Avoid special characters and umlauts.

An example file could be named like this:

20200820-Draft-PartnershipAgreement-SampleBank-V1-FG.pdf

Here you will find all the elements we mentioned above. The when, what, and who of this file are clear at a glance, which also helps outsiders when searching.

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Step 2: Structured file distribution

Of course, you could just throw your clearly named files into a folder and might eventually find the one you are looking for. But that might not be the case for your team members. This is where folders come in. As a first step, you should define your permanent core folders. This means that your entire folder structure will be built around these. To illustrate this, let's look at a simple three-tier folder structure that could work for your digital inbox at CAYA:

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Core folders should organise your mail into easily understandable and clearly separated categories. Ideally, you should never need to touch this first level, as you will always receive mail within your established categories. On the second level, which is more flexible and should be adjusted more frequently, you can sort mail by sender, for example. It is often clearer if the second level is consistent across all core folders, such as with the sender example. The third level, however, is more flexible and can be used more creatively. For instance, you could divide your invoices into paid and unpaid, while your orders could be split into accepted or rejected. Of course, the setup is entirely up to you, and we are just providing food for thought on how you can build your structure. Take your time with this step and think carefully about which folders you need. Once you have a result you are happy with, you are only one step away from a better folder structure.

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Step 3: View subfolders as support, not an extra hurdle

This step is less about technical application and more about mindset. People are often reluctant to create too many folders if, for example, only one file ends up in them. However, a folder structure is intended to last for years and work across all kinds of systems. Since no one can predict the future, you obviously don't know if more files will be added. For the sake of clarity, you should avoid mixing individual files and folders on the same structural level. Either have folders on a level or files on a level (which would then necessarily be the final level). Therefore, subfolders should not be seen as an extra hurdle due to one additional click. If you are unsure whether you still need a subfolder to further distribute your files, the answer in most cases is: yes.

If you follow these three steps, you will be able to find your files with ease, even years later, and will never again feel stressed when collecting your documents. And the best part is: a well-thought-out digital folder structure works in almost any system and is easy for anyone to understand when navigating the file jungle.