What defines a good folder structure

In the information age, we are confronted with a multitude of media files, documents and other digital content every day. However, valuable time is often lost because we have to search for the right file. A well thought-out folder structure is the first step towards greater efficiency and clarity. It not only helps to find files more quickly, but also simplifies team collaboration. But what is the best way to set up such a structure? In this article, we present tried-and-tested rules and practical examples that show you what is important when creating useful folder structures.

What is the 7-folder system?

A proven approach for clear and efficient folder structures is based on the so-called 7-folder system. The name already says it: a maximum of 7 folders per level should be created. One of 7 main folders therefore contains a maximum of 7 subfolders and each subfolder contains a maximum of 7 “sub-subfolders”.

As an excessively deep folder structure quickly becomes confusing, no more than 3 levels are intended in the 7-folder system, resulting in a maximum of 343 folders (7³).

All in all, the model offers a good balance between clarity and depth of detail. However, the number 7 should only serve as a guide. Exceptions can also be made if required.

Example implementation of the 7-folder system in Windows Explorer:

Define top level categories

Clear categorization provides an overview, improves navigation and makes it easier to get started with the system. The first step in creating a folder structure is therefore to define categories for the top level. The structure should be based on the specific requirements of the company and the work processes. For sorting and navigation purposes, it can be helpful to work with leading digits. You should also avoid spaces and special characters when naming folders, as they can cause compatibility problems in the worst case (more on this in our article on useful file names). In practice, the top level could look like this, for example:

1_Projects
2_Personnel
3_Clients
4_Finance
5_Marketing
6_Events
7_Archive


Formal criteria for subfolders

Depending on the content and purpose, there are further sorting criteria in the subfolders that can be helpful. For example, you could sort Personnel or Clients alphabetically:

A–C
D–G
H–L
M–O
P–S
T–V
W–Z


In folders such as Projects, Finance, Events or Archive it could be useful to work with year numbers, e.g. like this:

[current year]
2020–2023
2015–2019
2010–2014
2000–2009
1981–1999
_before_1980


In general, naming conventions should be developed and applied consistently everywhere. This ensures the structure is logically comprehensible and allows folders and files to be located based on their names.

Descriptive folder names

Consistency is also required when it comes to finding descriptive names for folders: Keep folder names short and work with terms that not only you, but also your colleagues know and use. Abbreviations are generally good, but again, they need to be known in the company.

One option for descriptive folder names is to specify different purposes. This is usually used at the lowest level. However, this is not necessarily the case. In the main folder Marketing, for example, the following naming could be useful:

1_Social_Media
2_Campaigns
3_Website
4_Print+Offline
5_Email_Marketing
6_Events+PR
7_Media_Archive


Since media files of various types are generated in the marketing sector, a distinction could be made between media types at the lowest level, for example:

1_Images
2_Videos
3_Audio_Files
4_Documents
5_Presentations
6_Templates
7_Misc


Plan for archiving and lifecycle management

A good filing system should be both flexible and stable in the long term. Develop a concept that includes the regular archiving and deletion of old files. Review the existing structures at fixed intervals and move outdated or no longer required content to an archive folder. Even better is a separate archive that is organized independently of the active folder structure. Automated rules can make this process easier by automatically archiving files after a set period of time. This keeps the folder structure clear and efficient.

Example of an archiving structure:

├── 2015-2019
└── 2020-2023

├── Projects_A-C
└── Projects_D-G

├── Project_Delta
└── Project_Echo


In short, a clearly defined archive section ensures that outdated content is stored separately from current projects, but can be easily retrieved if required.

Implementation of access privileges

In larger companies, departments and employees often have different access and authorization requirements. The folder structure should therefore be set up in such a way that sensitive data can only be viewed by authorized persons. A clear separation between public and restricted areas makes it easier to manage and distribute access privileges as required. Folders for individual departments or access groups offer a clear and simple solution.

Example of an authorization structure:

├── Personnel [access restricted to HR team]
└── Projects

├── Project_A [access restricted to team A]
└── Project_B [access restricted to team B]


Metadata for additional filter options

Metadata provides an additional layer for organizing files. For media files in particular, keywords and information such as date, location or content origin can help to find relevant files without making the folder structure itself unnecessarily complex. However, pure file managers such as Windows Explorer only offer limited options for working with metadata.

The best of both worlds – the Media Hub

DAM systems usually offer comprehensive options for metadata management. DAM stands for digital asset management. That is the technical term for the professional management of digital media. Our DAM solution, the teamnext | Media Hub, combines the best of both worlds. On the one hand, classic folder structures (and folder-specific authorizations) can be created, while on the other, the system offers full support for your own metadata and common metadata formats such as IPTC-IIM, Exif and XMP. In addition, teamnext uses the latest AI technology to make images and videos accessible even without metadata (visual search).

With a DAM system like the Media Hub, you get a future-proof solution for organizing large amounts of data and take your media management to a new level!

Have we aroused your curiosity? You are welcome to make an appointment for an individual online demo with one of our experts. You will then have the opportunity to try out the Media Hub for yourself during a free 14-day test phase.

If you have any further questions, please contact our support team at any time. Further information can be found at teamnext.com/contact.