Folder Structures

Learn about folder structures and how to create custom ones

Folder Structures

A folder structure is a template that defines how your project folders are organized. It's the blueprint that keeps your projects consistent and helps automate file organization.

Note: You created your first structure during onboarding. This guide covers advanced customization and creating additional structures.

What is a Folder Structure?

A folder structure is:

  • A template of nested folders
  • Reusable across multiple projects
  • Customizable to your exact needs
  • The foundation for automated sorting

Built-in Structures

Sorta includes several pre-built structures for common workflows.

Basic Structure

Simple and universal — good for general projects.

Project/
├── Assets/
├── Work/
└── Archive/

Best for: General projects, simple workflows, starting point

Design Project Structure

Organized for graphic designers, UI/UX designers, and visual creators.

Project/
├── Assets/
│   ├── Images/
│   ├── Fonts/
│   └── Icons/
├── Source/
│   ├── Design/
│   ├── Drafts/
│   └── Working/
├── Export/
│   ├── Final/
│   └── Deliverables/
└── Reference/

Best for: Designers, illustrators, brand work, UI projects

Video Project Structure

Built for video editors with organized footage, audio, and graphics.

Project/
├── Footage/
│   ├── Raw/
│   └── Selects/
├── Audio/
├── Graphics/
│   ├── Motion/
│   ├── Titles/
│   └── Effects/
├── Export/
└── Project Files/

Best for: Video editors, filmmakers, content creators

Photography Structure

Organized for photographers managing RAW files through post-processing.

Project/
├── RAW/
├── Selects/
├── Edits/
├── Export/
│   ├── Web/
│   └── Print/
└── Reference/

Best for: Photographers, photo retouchers, visual archivists

Blank Structure

Start empty and customize from scratch.

Best for: Unique workflows, learning, experimental setups

Viewing Your Structure

In Sorta Settings

  1. Click on a project
  2. Go to Structure tab
  3. See the complete folder hierarchy

In Finder

  1. Open your project folder in Finder
  2. See all folders visually
  3. You can manually add/remove folders here

Customizing Structures

Rename Folders

  1. Click on a project
  2. Go to Edit Structure
  3. Click the folder name to edit
  4. Type a new name
  5. Click Save

Add New Folders

  1. Click Edit Structure
  2. Click Add Folder
  3. Choose a parent folder (or top-level)
  4. Name the new folder
  5. Click Create

Create Nested Folders

Add subfolders to organize deeper:

Assets/
├── Images/
│   ├── Photos/
│   ├── Graphics/
│   └── Screenshots/
├── Fonts/
└── Icons/
  1. Click Edit Structure
  2. Select a folder
  3. Click Add Subfolder
  4. Name it
  5. Save

Remove Folders

  1. Click Edit Structure
  2. Select the folder to remove
  3. Click Delete Folder
  4. Confirm

Note: Removing from the structure doesn't delete actual files on disk.

Reorder Folders

  1. Click Edit Structure
  2. Drag folders to reorder
  3. Changes appear immediately
  4. Save when done

Saving Custom Structures

Create a New Template

After customizing a project's structure:

  1. Click on the project
  2. Go to Structure tab
  3. Click Save as Template
  4. Give it a name (e.g., "Marketing Campaign")
  5. Optionally add description
  6. Click Save

Your structure is now available when creating new projects.

Manage Templates

To see all your saved templates:

  1. Click New Project
  2. Step 2 shows all available structures
  3. Built-in structures appear at the top
  4. Your custom structures appear below

You can:

  • Use a template for new projects
  • Edit a template (changes apply to future projects)
  • Delete a template you no longer need
  • Duplicate a template to create variations

Structure Best Practices

Keep It Reasonable

Don't create too many nested levels:

❌ Too Deep
Project/
├── Work/
│   ├── Drafts/
│   │   ├── Iterations/
│   │   │   ├── v1/
│   │   │   ├── v2/
│   │   │   └── v3/

✅ Better
Project/
├── Drafts/
│   ├── v1/
│   ├── v2/
│   └── v3/

Rule: 3-4 levels deep is usually enough. If you need more, consider a different organizational approach.

Use Consistent Naming

Stick to one naming convention:

✅ Consistent
├── Assets/
├── Design/
├── Export/

❌ Inconsistent
├── assets/
├── DESIGN/
├── export_files/

Tips:

  • Start with capital letter: Assets not assets
  • Use singular or plural consistently: Image or Images, pick one
  • Avoid special characters: use Source_Design not Source (Design!)

Name for Clarity

Folder names should be obvious:

✅ Clear
├── Assets/
├── Drafts/
├── Final/

❌ Unclear
├── v1/
├── tmp/
├── misc/

Create for Your Workflow

Design structures around how you actually work:

Design Agency Example
├── Client Deliverables/    (what you send to client)
├── Working Files/          (your design files)
├── Client Assets/          (what they give you)
├── Reference/              (inspiration, specs)
└── Archive/               (completed projects)

Using Structures with Flows

Structures work best with Flows (automated sorting rules).

For example, with this structure:

Project/
├── Inbox/           ← Where new files go
├── Assets/
│   ├── Images/
│   └── Fonts/
├── Design/
└── Export/

You can create flows like:

  • PNG files in Inbox → Assets/Images
  • Font files → Assets/Fonts
  • Files named "final" → Export/

Learn more: Creating Flows

Applying New Structures

Want to reorganize an existing project?

  1. Right-click the project
  2. Select Apply Structure
  3. Choose a different template
  4. New folders are created automatically
  5. Existing files stay in place

This is useful when:

  • Your workflow changes
  • You want to try a different organization
  • You're scaling up and need more folders

Structure Examples

Creative Studio

Project/
├── Client Briefs/
├── Concepts/
├── Design/
│   ├── Drafts/
│   ├── Approved/
│   └── Final/
├── Assets/
│   ├── Brand/
│   ├── Stock/
│   └── Custom/
├── Export/
│   ├── Web/
│   └── Print/
└── Archive/

Software Development

Project/
├── Specs/
├── Code/
│   ├── Frontend/
│   ├── Backend/
│   └── Config/
├── Testing/
├── Documentation/
├── Deployment/
└── Archive/

Content Creation

Project/
├── Planning/
├── Raw Content/
├── Editing/
├── Publishing/
├── Analytics/
└── Archive/

Troubleshooting

Folders aren't showing up in Sorta

  • Check Finder to confirm they exist on disk
  • They may need to be sub-folders of your project root
  • Try restarting Sorta to refresh

Structure changes aren't applied to other projects

  • You need to create a new template (Save as Template) after editing
  • Or manually apply the new structure to each project
  • Editing a saved template affects new projects using it

Can't delete a folder from structure

  • The folder might contain files (removal doesn't delete files, just the organization)
  • Try editing the structure in Finder directly
  • Or manually manage the folder in Finder

Next Steps