Importing Existing Folder Structures

If you already have a folder organization system you love, you can import it into Sorta and make it reusable across all your projects.

Why Import Your Structure?

Current Situation

You probably have:

A project folder with folders you organized over time
A specific way you like to organize work
A structure that's proven effective for your workflow

With Sorta Imports

You can:

Convert that structure to a reusable template
Apply it to new projects instantly
Keep your proven organization consistent
Add automated flows to make it even better

Prerequisites

Before importing, you should have:

A reference project folder with your ideal structure
Sorta installed and running
Understanding of Folder Structures

Step-by-Step: Importing a Structure

Step 1: Prepare Your Reference Folder

Choose a project folder that represents your ideal structure.

This folder should be:

✅ Well-organized

Folders are in the order you want
Naming is consistent and clear
Hierarchy makes sense

✅ Complete

Has all the folders you typically use
Includes any important subfolders
But empty of actual files (or mostly empty)

✅ Clean

No temporary folders
No "misc" or "junk" folders
No system files (.DS_Store is ignored anyway)

Step 2: Open Import Dialog

Click the Sorta menu bar icon
Go to Settings
Find Manage Structures or Templates
Click Import Existing Folder

A file browser opens.

Step 3: Select Your Reference Folder

Navigate to your reference project folder
Select the folder itself (not the contents)
Click Choose or Import

Sorta scans the folder structure.

Step 4: Review the Imported Structure

Sorta shows you what it found:

Website Redesign/ (to be imported)
├── Assets/
│   ├── Images/
│   ├── Fonts/
│   └── Icons/
├── Design/
│   ├── Drafts/
│   ├── Approved/
│   └── Final/
├── Development/
├── Deliverables/
└── Archive/

Step 5: Edit if Needed

Before saving, you can customize:

Rename folders — Click folder name to change it
Remove folders — Delete ones you don't want in the template
Reorder folders — Drag to change order
Add folders — Create new ones if something is missing

Click Confirm when ready.

Step 6: Name Your Template

Give your imported structure a descriptive name:

Examples:
✅ "Design Project 2024"
✅ "Video Editing Workflow"
✅ "Photography Editing"
✅ "Client Project Template"
❌ "Project" (too generic)
❌ "Folder" (not helpful)

Optionally add a description:

"For client design work with all phases"
"Optimized photography RAW to export"

Click Save.

Your structure is now a reusable template!

Using Your Imported Structure

Apply to New Projects

When creating a new project:

Click New Project
At the template selection step, find your imported structure
Your custom structures appear at the top of the list
Select it
New project is created with your structure

Apply to Existing Projects

Want to reorganize an existing project with a new structure?

Right-click the project
Select Apply Structure
Choose your imported structure
Select which folders to apply
New folders are created (existing files stay)
Manually move files to new organization if needed

Real-World Examples

Example 1: Designer's Workflow

Your reference folder structure:

Design_Project_Master/
├── 01_Briefing/
│   ├── Client_Brief/
│   ├── Requirements/
│   └── Reference/
├── 02_Concepts/
│   ├── Sketches/
│   ├── Mockups/
│   └── Approved/
├── 03_Design/
│   ├── Source_Files/
│   │   ├── Photoshop/
│   │   ├── Illustrator/
│   │   └── Figma/
│   ├── Drafts/
│   └── Final/
├── 04_Export/
│   ├── Web/
│   ├── Print/
│   └── Social/
└── 05_Archive/

Import this structure:

Scan the folder
All folders are imported automatically
Numbered prefixes help with organization
Deeply nested structure matches your workflow
Save as "Design Project Template"

Use it:

Every new design project uses this exact structure
Consistency across all your work
You know exactly where everything goes

Example 2: Photographer's Structure

Reference folder:

Photography_Master/
├── 01_Raw/           (unedited camera files)
├── 02_Selects/       (photos you've chosen)
├── 03_Editing/
│   ├── In_Progress/
│   └── Edited/
├── 04_Export/
│   ├── Web/          (social media, web)
│   ├── Print/        (print products)
│   └── Archive/      (full resolution backup)
└── 05_Metadata/      (EXIF, keywords)

Benefits:

Clear separation between RAW and edited
Organized export by use case
Metadata folder for organization info
Applied to every photo shoot

Example 3: Video Project Structure

Reference folder:

Video_Project_Template/
├── 01_Planning/
│   ├── Storyboard/
│   ├── Scripts/
│   └── Shotlist/
├── 02_Footage/
│   ├── Raw/          (camera files)
│   ├── Selects/      (chosen clips)
│   └── B_Roll/
├── 03_Audio/
│   ├── Voiceover/
│   ├── Music/
│   └── Effects/
├── 04_Graphics/
│   ├── Titles/
│   ├── Lower_Thirds/
│   └── Motion/
├── 05_Project_Files/
│   ├── Premiere/
│   ├── AE/
│   └── Resolve/
└── 06_Export/
    ├── Masters/      (final version)
    └── Deliverables/ (various resolutions)

Results:

All videos organized consistently
Clear workflow from planning to export
Easy for team collaboration
Templates for repeated video types

Tips for Successful Imports

Name Folders Wisely

Use clear, consistent folder names:

✅ Good Naming
├── Assets/
├── Design/
├── Deliverables/

❌ Inconsistent
├── assets/ (lowercase)
├── DESIGN (uppercase)
├── deliverables_final (with underscore)

Consistency tip: Use the same conventions across all your structures.

Use Numbered Prefixes

Help with organization:

✅ With Numbers
├── 01_Planning/
├── 02_Design/
├── 03_Development/
├── 04_Export/

Benefits:
- Auto-sorts in order
- Shows workflow progression
- Clear steps to follow

Don't Overthink Nesting

Balance depth with usability:

❌ Too Deep (hard to navigate)
├── Work/
│   ├── Projects/
│   │   ├── Current/
│   │   │   ├── Phase 1/

✅ Better (clear and navigable)
├── Phase_1/
├── Phase_2/
├── Phase_3/

Rule of thumb: 3-4 levels of nesting is usually ideal.

Include Important Folders

Make sure your reference includes:

All file type categories (Assets, Design, etc.)
Important workflow folders (Inbox, Working, Archive)
Output folders (Export, Deliverables, Final)
Reference/Source folders for inputs

Leave Out Temporary Stuff

Don't import:

Files (only structure)
Temporary folders (Temp, Temp Work, etc.)
Project-specific folders (don't generalize them)
Old/Archive folders

You can add Archive folders in the template manually.

Modifying Imported Structures

After Importing

Your imported structure becomes a template. You can:

Edit it — Modify the structure any time
Duplicate it — Create variations
Delete it — Remove if no longer needed

Common Edits

Make it more generic:

"2024_Project_Template" → "Annual_Project"
Remove year-specific elements
Keep reusable parts

Create variations:

Import once, then create variations
"Design Project" → "Design Project Corporate" & "Design Project Creative"

Combine structures:

Import structure A
Add folders from structure B
Create hybrid template

Troubleshooting Imports

"Some folders didn't import"

Causes:

Special characters in folder names (!, @, #, etc.)
Hidden folders (starting with .)
Symbolic links or aliases
Permission issues

Solutions:

Rename folders to avoid special characters
Hidden folders are automatically skipped (usually okay)
Use actual folders, not aliases
Check that you have read permissions

"Structure looks wrong after import"

Check:

Folder names in preview
Nesting levels (subfolders)
Folder order

Fix:

Edit the imported structure
Manually fix any issues
Add missing folders
Remove unwanted ones

"Can't apply imported structure to existing project"