Folders are super flexible. They can be a place to store your content or link to a different part of your Community.
It can take some time to create your Folder structure, but we promise you it's worth the time and effort. So grab some snack and a drink, and let's get started!
Building your Root Folder:
Head to the Console, select Content from the left hand panel and click on Folders.
The first thing you'll be presented with when creating your Folders for the first time, is a blank canvas from which you can build out your whole structure.
Let's start off by pressing the Create Folders button and naming it Root Folder.
Creating this Root Folder, will give you a lot of freedom and flexibility in creating your Folder structure, but don't worry, your members won't be coming to this Root Folder.
Now click + Add to This Folder button.
Next click on the New Folder option and create a new main folder that will serve as a place to store all of your content. We've called this new subfolder Home, but you don't have to.
The new subfolder is where your members will be introduced to your content and is where you will be building out your structure.
Ps: If you ever want to use a folder as a home page, this sets you up for success. Learn more about Home Screen Layout Options here.
Adding Content to Home:
Click on your newly created Home folder and let's start building it out.
Start off by clicking Edit Cover so that you can add a cover image to your Home Folder. The image needs to be in a 16:9 ratio so that it isn't cropped.
Next press Add to start adding new Folders and content. There are 5 different things you can add to a folder:
A New Folder:
This creates a brand new subfolder, which can help you further segment your content. Like adding different rooms to a Home for all of your different content.
Media:
Media is made up of content such as Videos, Images, Audio files and PDF's. We support the following formats for your content: WAV, MP3, JPG, PNG, AVI, MOV, MP4, FLV, and PDF.
We suggest adding specific assets to specific Folders so it is easier for members to find your content. For example, maybe don't mix all of your Videos and PDF's together. However, you are able to add multiple different media types into a Folder if you wish.
Articles:
An Article can act like a blog post for example. Click here to learn more about Articles and the best way to create them.
Links:
These are extremely useful as ways to create easy navigation for your members. You can create links to your Activity Feed for example, you can add links to external URL's or you could even create links to a specific Folder to make it easy to locate.
Livestreams:
You can create a specific Folder to house certain Livestreams that you have conducted, and want in easy reach for your members. Maybe you've done an important AMA and want your members to always be able to reach it easily.
Don't forget to add a thumbnail to each newly created subfolder. These thumbnail images need to be in a 1:1 image ratio so that they don't look cropped or distorted.
What we Suggest:
We would suggest adding multiple Folders into your Home Folder, that you can then add content to. For example, we created:
- A Folder as a link to our Activity Feed.
- A Folder as a link to Events.
- A Folder to house our Videos.
- A Folder to house our Podcasts.
- A Folder to house our Articles.
You can then add your content to each of these new Folders, making it nice and easy for your members to navigate.
Here is how creating the Folders in this structure, will show to your members.
Moving Items Between Folders:
You've created a subfolder or added a piece of media and then realised that it's in the wrong Folder! Not to worry, you don't need to delete it and then upload it to the correct Folder. Instead, you can simply move it to the Folder you want.
Tap the three dots icon to the right of the item you want to move, and select the option to Move to another Folder.
You'll be presented with the option to select which Folder to move it to and once you're ready, select Move to the Folder selected to confirm the change.
We would recommend checking an items settings once you move it, to make sure it is available for the correct members you intend it for (from a subscription and Group access perspective).
Ordering Items Within a Folder:
Your item is in the right Folder but it's not quite in the right order, luckily we have a few tools to help you present your content in just the right way.
Manually Moving an Item:
If you only need to move an item a few places up or down, you can simply use the arrow icons to the right of an item to move it up or down into the right position. Each click moves the item once.
You can also drag and drop your item into your preferred position too. All you have to do is click, hold and drag an item into the right spot.
Telling an Item Where to be Placed:
In some cases, you may have lots of items in a Folder and it may even span a few pages – here, dragging and dropping isn't an efficient use of your time.
Instead, click on the three dots icon to the right of an item and select Change position.
You'll be presented with the option to select which item you want to position your selected item before. This will make it appear above the item you pick from the drop down list.
Once you've made your selection, press Update item position and the item will move for you.
Setting a Default Order for your Folder:
You have the option of setting a default order for any item you add to a Folder. Head to Folder settings and select the option for Item ordering.
Here you'll have the option to set one of the following rules for your Folder:
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Manual
- This allows you to use the features above to manually order the items in your Folder. This is the default setting.
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Most recent first
- All items will be ordered by when they were most recently added and displayed in that order.
-
Oldest first
- All items will be ordered by when they were first added and show the oldest item first.
Once you've set your sort order, don't forget to press Publish to save your changes.
It's important to note, that if you set an order for a Folder and then manually move an item, the order sorting will then automatically change to manual for that Folder.
Want to Make a Folder Searchable?
By default, all of your Folders will be searchable unless you specify for them not to be. You can learn more about this in depth in our article on Searching for Folders.
There will be a lot of trial and error when you first set up your Folders, but don't get discouraged. Once you're done, we're sure your Community will love your hard work!
Top Tips:
- Did you know that you that you can make a Folder only available to paid subscribers? Why not learn more about that here.
- Did you know that you can restrict access to a Folder to only those members that are a part of a specific Group?
- Did you know that members can Bookmark your Folders to easily return back to them? Click here to learn more.
- Did you know that Folders are now searchable in your Community? Check out this article to see how.