Saturday Suite Tip: Organise Folders in Google Drive

Does your Google Drive look like a three year old has run through it?  Try these tips to get it under control..

• Colour your folders
• Create numbered folders
• Create a folder hierarchy
• Add to Multiple Folders

Colour Your Folders

Use colour to easily identify folders for different purposes.  Colours can be used for different curriculum areas, progress stages in projects, templates and planning folders, procedures and important documents - anything you like really.  They're great for providing a quick way to find the folder you want - just look for the colour.  

Right click on your folder select change colour and choose your colour

Number your Folders

Add a number in front of a folder name to ensure they sit at the top of your folder list when looking at your Drive.   Use it to number your process for planning, organise your resources, or just have those folder you use regularly right there where you need them.  You can always change the numbering or remove it completely.

Right click on the folder then click rename and enter the folder name with a number in front of it

Create a Folder Hierarchy

Have a think about reducing the number of folders you have or at least combining them into a hierarchy. Create spaces for particular projects, planing, templates and anything else that works for you. Then you just have to make sure you use them. Remember you can move a document to a folder simply by dragging and dropping it or hitting the folder icon when in the document and choosing the folder you want to move it to.

Add to Multiple Folders

One of the lesser known features of Google Drive is the ability to add a document to more than one folder. There is still only one copy of the document, it just appears in more than one folder. I find it really useful for categorising documents that fit into more than one category or project.

To add a document to more than one folder, select the document by clicking it once, press shift and Z and then select My drive and the folder you would like to add the document to.

To check the folders that a document is located in select the document and press the view details button in the top right of your screen (it's an icon with a i on it).