Organize your files in Google Drive

To organize your files in Drive, you can create folders to make files easier to find and share with others.

Note: If you organize a lot of files or folders at once, it might take time for the changes to appear.

There is no correct way to organize your files in Drive. However, below are some general suggestions for how to keep your files in order.

  • Use a naming convention: Keep file names short, simple, and meaningful. You can also add a date, use hashtags, or numbers.
  • Color code folders: Use colors to label folders so you can easily identify the type of file.
  • Create folders and subfolders: Folders help you keep track of files and find them quickly.
  • Drag and drop files: You can drag and drop files into folders.
  • Add descriptions: You can add descriptions to files and folders. To do this, right-click the file or folder and then Click File Information Information and then Details Information. Scroll to the bottom of the side panel and add your description.
  • Use the Star feature: Star important files and folders to quickly access them. To do this, right-click the file or folder and then Click Organize and then Add to starred .

Tips to organize your files:

  • Use folders inside folders: Start with a simple structure and adjust as you need. You could have folders for each project ("Project_1", "Project_2", "Project_3"), and then smaller folders inside for different topics or assignments.
  • Use clear names: Use easy-to-understand names for your files and folders. Use dates (like "YYYY-MM_DD_Project_Notes"), project names ("Book Report_The Forest"), or keywords ("Math Homework_Chapter 5") to keep track of everything.
  • Color code your folders: Use colors to label folders. You can use the same color for similar projects (like using green for projects related to gardening), and so on.
  • Star your favorites: Put a star on files you need to find quickly. You can find all your starred files in one place.

Remember, the goal is to make your Google Drive easy to use and navigate. A simple, organized structure helps you find what you need quickly and efficiently.

Tip: If you organize a lot of files or folders at once, it might take time for the changes to appear.

Create, move & copy files

Create a folder

  1. On your computer, go to drive.google.com.
  2. On the left, click New and then Folder.
  3. Enter a name for the folder.
  4. Click Create.

Move items to a file or a folder

Important: To move a file, you must have permission to move the file from the source to the destination, otherwise the file won’t be moved. A shortcut is created in the destination folder instead.

There are multiple ways to move items to a file or folder. You can do this while you access an item on:

  • The main window
  • The left panel
  • Google Drive search results

Tip: If you move folders with a lot of files or subfolders, it takes time for you to find the changes.

Manually move to a folder

  1. On your computer, go to drive.google.com.
  2. Right-click the item you want to move.
  3. Click Organize > Move .
  4. Select or create a folder.
  5. Click Move.

Drag to a folder

  1. On your computer, go to drive.google.com.
  2. Drag the item you want to move.
  3. Move the item over the folder and release it.

Tip: To move items into any folder in Google Drive, go to the left panel.

Use keyboard shortcuts to move to a folder

Important: This functionality is only available on Chrome.

  1. On your computer, go to drive.google.com.
  2. Select a file.
  3. To cut the file, press Ctrl + x.
  4. Go to the new location.
  5. Select an option:
    • To paste the file into the new location, press Ctrl + v.
    • To create a shortcut of the file into the new location, press Ctrl + Shift + v.

Tip: Users can move across browser windows.

Create a link to a file or folder in other applications

Important: This functionality is only available on Chrome.

With Google Drive, you can copy and paste the name of a file and/or folder in Google Editor documents and other applications.

  1. On your computer, go to drive.google.com.
  2. Select a file.
  3. Select an option:
    • To copy the file or folder name to the clipboard as a link, press Ctrl + c. 
    • To copy the file or folder URL to the clipboard as a link, press Ctrl + Shift + c.
  4. To paste the file or folder into a Google document or other applications, press Ctrl + v.

Make a copy of a file

Important:

  • This functionality is only available on Chrome.
  • This functionality isn't available on Drive for desktop.
  • You can’t copy folders, only files.
  • To find a folder easily, you can create a shortcut to a folder.

Manually copy a file

  1. On your computer, go to drive.google.com.
  2. Right-click a file.
  3. Click Make a copy Make a copy.

Use keyboard shortcuts to copy a file

  1. On your computer, go to drive.google.com.
  2. Select a file.
  3. To copy the file to the clipboard, press Ctrl + c.
  4. Go to the new location.
  5. To make a copy of the file into the new location, press Ctrl + v.

Tip: Users can move across browser windows.

Delete a file or folder

  1. On your computer, go to drive.google.com.
  2. Right-click the file or folder you want to delete.
  3. Click Remove.

If you accidentally put an item in the trash, you can restore your item.

Create a shortcut for a file or folder

Shortcuts make it easier for you or your team to find and organize files and folders in multiple Google Drives. A shortcut is a link that references another file or folder. 

Create a shortcut

  1. On your computer, go to drive.google.com.
  2. Right-click the file or folder you want to make a shortcut for.
  3.  Click Organize  > Add shortcut .
  4. Choose where you want the shortcut to be.
  5. Click Add shortcut.

Tip: You can create a copy of a shortcut in a Drive folder, but you can’t create a shortcut to another shortcut file.

Use keyboard shortcuts to create a shortcut

Important: This functionality is only available on Chrome.

  1. On your computer, go to drive.google.com.
  2. Select the file.
  3. To copy the file to the clipboard, press Ctrl + c.
  4. Go to the new location.
  5. To paste the shortcut into the new location, press Ctrl + Shift + v.

Delete a shortcut

  1. On your computer, go to drive.google.com.
  2. Right-click the shortcut you want to remove.
  3. Click Remove.

To permanently delete the shortcut, empty your trash.

Important: If you delete a shortcut, the original file is not deleted.

Change the color of your folder

You can customize the color of folders and shortcuts to folders in your My Drive and shared drives. If you change any colors, it only applies to your version of Drive.

  1. On your computer, go to drive.google.com.
  2. Right-click the folder you want to change.
  3. Click Organize   and then Select the color from the Folder color options.
Find duplicate files or folders
  1. On your computer, go to drive.google.com.
  2. Select an option:
    1. Sort files by name and ensure you’re in the list view. This can help you spot duplicate files with similar names.
    2. Use the search bar to look for specific file types or names that you suspect might have duplicates.
If you accidentally put an item in the trash, you can restore your item.

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