Creating Flows

Flows automate how files move through your projects. Instead of manually sorting the same file types over and over, you can set up a flow once and let Sorta handle it.

What is a Flow?

A flow is a rule that tells Sorta: "When a file like this appears here, move it there."

For example:

  • PNGs dropped in Inbox → automatically go to Assets/Images
  • PSDs in Downloads → go to Source/Design
  • MOVs anywhere → go to Export/Video

Two Ways to Create Flows

1. Let Sorta Suggest (Recommended)

Sorta watches how you sort files and suggests flows based on your patterns.

  1. Sort a few files manually (e.g., drag a PNG to Assets/Images)
  2. Sorta notices the pattern
  3. A suggestion appears: "Create a flow for PNGs → Assets/Images?"
  4. Click "Yes" to create the flow
  5. Future PNGs are sorted automatically

This is the easiest way — just work normally and Sorta learns.

2. Create Manually

If you know exactly what you want:

  1. Open your project in Sorta
  2. Go to Flows tab
  3. Click New Flow
  4. Set the conditions:
    • File type: PNG, PSD, MOV, etc.
    • Source folder: Where files come from (e.g., Inbox, Downloads)
    • Destination folder: Where files should go
  5. Save the flow

Flow Conditions

You can create flows based on:

  • File extension: .png, .psd, .ai, .mov, .mp4
  • File name patterns: files containing "final", "v2", "export"
  • Source location: specific folders like Inbox or Downloads

Managing Flows

View Active Flows

Go to Flows tab to see all flows for the current project.

Edit a Flow

Click on any flow to modify its conditions or destination.

Disable a Flow

Toggle a flow off without deleting it. Useful for temporary changes.

Delete a Flow

Remove flows you no longer need.

Tips

  • Start simple: Create flows for your most common file types first
  • Use Inbox: Keep an Inbox folder in your structure — it's a great source for flows
  • Let Sorta learn: The suggestion system gets better the more you use it
  • Project-specific: Flows are tied to folder structures, so different project types can have different flows

Example: Video Project Flow Setup

A typical video project might have these flows:

| Source | File Type | Destination | |--------|-----------|-------------| | Inbox | .mov, .mp4 | Footage/Raw | | Inbox | .png, .jpg | Assets/Images | | Inbox | .psd, .ai | Source/Design | | Inbox | .wav, .mp3 | Assets/Audio | | Export | final | Deliverables |