Quick Tour of Sorta

A quick walkthrough of Sorta's main features and interface

Quick Tour of Sorta

Now that you've completed onboarding and have your first project set up, let's explore Sorta's main features and how they work together.

The Dashboard

Sorta's main interface is organized into three tabs:

  • Projects — View and manage your projects
  • Sorting — See files awaiting sorting and recent moves
  • Structure — Create and edit folder structure templates

Click the Sorta app icon to open the dashboard.

Projects View

When you click the Sorta menu bar icon, you see your projects.

Project Actions

For each project, you can:

  • Click the name — Open the project folder in Finder
  • Right-click — See more options (Open, Edit, Delete)
  • ⌘+click — Quick access to subfolders (if you have Quick Access enabled)

Creating New Projects

Click New Project to:

  1. Choose a location on your Mac
  2. Name your project
  3. Select a folder structure template
  4. Get a fully organized project instantly

Project Settings

Click the settings icon or open a project to see:

Project Overview

  • Project name and location
  • Current folder structure
  • Number of files in the project

Structure Management

  • Edit Structure — Add, remove, or rename folders
  • Apply New Structure — Switch to a different template
  • View Folder Hierarchy — See the complete organization

Project Actions

  • Open in Finder — Navigate to the project
  • Rename — Change the project name
  • Delete — Remove from Sorta (files stay on disk)

Folder Structures

Sorta includes several pre-built structures, but understanding them is key.

What Structure Does

A folder structure is:

  • A template for organizing projects
  • A reusable set of folders
  • Customizable after creation

Available Structures

Built-in structures for different work types:

  • Basic — Simple, universal structure
  • Design Project — For graphic and UI designers
  • Video Project — For video editors
  • Photography — For photographers
  • Blank — Custom structure

Customize Your Structure

You can:

  1. Rename folders to match your workflow
  2. Add new folders for specific needs
  3. Remove folders you don't need
  4. Create nested subfolders

After customizing, you can save it as a new template for future projects.

Flows (Automated Sorting)

Flows are rules that automatically organize your files.

How Flows Work

Define a rule:

  • When a certain file type appears
  • In a specific source folder
  • Then automatically move it to a destination folder

Example Flow

Rule: When .jpg or .png files appear in "Inbox"
Action: Automatically move them to "Assets/Images"

After setting up this flow, every image file in your Inbox gets sorted automatically.

Two Ways to Create Flows

1. Let Sorta Suggest (Easiest)

  1. Manually organize a few files
  2. Sorta notices the pattern
  3. Sorta suggests a flow
  4. Click "Accept" to activate it

2. Create Manually

  1. Open your project
  2. Go to Flows tab
  3. Click New Flow
  4. Set your conditions and destination

Managing Flows

You can:

  • View all flows for a project
  • Edit flows to change conditions
  • Disable flows temporarily
  • Delete flows you no longer need

Learn more: Creating Flows Guide

Quick Access Features

Quick Access makes navigating your projects faster.

Quick Folder Picker (⌘⇧Space)

Press ⌘⇧Space in any file dialog to:

  1. See a list of your projects
  2. Select one instantly
  3. Jump directly to that folder

Works in:

  • Adobe apps (Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.)
  • Code editors (VS Code, Xcode)
  • Browsers
  • Any app with file dialogs

Do Not Interrupt Mode

Toggle on to prevent notifications when sorting files.

  • Press ⌥⇧D to enable/disable
  • Useful during presentations or focused work
  • Manual controls still work

Learn more: Do Not Interrupt Mode Feature

Finder Extension

Sorta integrates with Finder to provide:

  • Quick project access from the Finder sidebar
  • Right-click menus for Sorta actions
  • Direct folder navigation

To enable:

  1. Open Sorta Settings
  2. Check "Enable Finder Extension"
  3. You may need to enable it in System Settings

Learn more: Using the Finder Extension

Settings & Preferences

Click the settings icon in the Sorta menu bar popover.

General Settings

  • Show Sorta in Finder sidebar
  • Appearance (Light/Dark/Auto)
  • Language

Keyboard Shortcuts

  • View and customize all shortcuts
  • Common shortcuts like ⌘⇧Space (Quick Access)
  • Custom shortcuts for your workflow

Advanced Options

  • Enable Finder Extension
  • Logs and debugging
  • About Sorta and version info

The Complete Workflow

Here's how everything works together:

1. Create a Project
   ↓
   Choose a Folder Structure template
   ↓

2. Add Files
   ↓
   Drop files into your project folders
   ↓

3. Create Flows
   ↓
   Define sorting rules (or let Sorta suggest them)
   ↓

4. Auto-Sorting
   ↓
   Flows automatically organize future files
   ↓

5. Use Quick Access
   ↓
   Jump to projects using ⌘⇧Space or Finder sidebar

Tips for Success

Start Simple

  • Create one project at a time
  • Use a built-in template that matches your work
  • Add one or two flows before adding more

Let Sorta Learn

  • Manually organize a few files
  • Let Sorta suggest flows based on your patterns
  • Accept suggestions that match your workflow

Keep Structures Clean

  • Don't create too many nested folders
  • Use consistent naming (Assets, not assets or ASSETS)
  • Add folders as you need them, not all at once

Use Keyboard Shortcuts

  • ⌘⇧Space for quick folder access
  • ⌥⇧D for Do Not Interrupt mode
  • Check Settings for other useful shortcuts

Next Steps

Now that you understand Sorta's features:

  1. Create more projects for different clients or tasks
  2. Learn about Flows to automate your sorting
  3. Explore Folder Structures in more detail
  4. Enable Quick Access for faster navigation

Common Questions

Can I use Sorta with cloud storage (iCloud, Dropbox)? Yes! Sorta works with any folder on your Mac, including cloud-synced folders. For best performance, keep folders in a location with good local access.

Can I have multiple projects? Absolutely! Create as many projects as you need. Each is completely independent.

What happens to my files when I delete a project? Only Sorta's tracking is deleted — your files stay on your Mac. You can still access them in Finder.

Can I customize the folder structure? Yes! Edit structures anytime. Changes affect new projects using that structure.

Get More Help