# Organizing Files

> Move, rename, search, download, and delete files and folders, and switch between list and grid views.

Canonical: https://www.clubpal.app/docs/file-manager/organizing
Section: File Manager

Learn how to effectively organize, move, rename, search, and manage your files and folders in the ClubPal File Manager.

## Switching Between Views

The File Manager offers two viewing modes to suit your preferences:

### List View (Default)

List View shows files and folders in a table format:
- **Columns**: Name, Size, Last Modified
- **Checkboxes**: On the left for bulk selection
- **Actions menu**: Three-dot menu (⋮) on the right for individual file actions
- **Best for**: Detailed file information and working with many files

### Grid View

Grid View provides a more visual representation:
- **Folders**: Large yellow folder icons
- **Files**: Cards with file type icons
- **Best for**: Browsing and visual organization

![The File Manager in grid view, with folders and files shown as tiles](https://www.clubpal.app/img/docs/file-manager-grid-view.png)

**To switch views**, click the view toggle icons in the toolbar (table icon for List View, grid icon for Grid View).

## Selecting Files and Folders

### Select Individual Items
- Click the checkbox next to any file or folder name
- Selected items are highlighted

### Select Multiple Items
- Click the checkbox in the table header to select all visible items
- Or click individual checkboxes to select specific items

### Selection Toolbar
When items are selected, the toolbar changes to show:
- Number of selected items (e.g., "3 Selected")
- **X** button to clear selection
- **Move** button to move selected items
- **Delete** button to remove selected items

## Moving Files and Folders

Move files and folders to organize them into different directories:

### Move Single Item
1. Click the three-dot menu (⋮) next to the item
2. Select **Move**
3. The **Move to Folder** dialog appears showing your folder structure
4. Navigate through folders by clicking on them
5. Click **Move Here** when you've selected the destination

### Move Multiple Items
1. Select the items you want to move using checkboxes
2. Click the **Move** button in the selection toolbar
3. Navigate to the destination folder in the modal
4. Click **Move Here** to confirm

![The Move to Folder dialog showing the folder tree, with Cancel and Move Here buttons](https://www.clubpal.app/img/docs/file-manager-move.png)

### Important Notes
- You can move multiple files and folders at once
- The system automatically updates all file paths
- Folders can be moved into other folders (nested structure)
- You cannot move a folder into itself or its subfolders
- Moving a folder moves all its contents

## Renaming Files and Folders

Change the name of any file or folder:

1. Click the three-dot menu (⋮) next to the item
2. Select **Rename** from the menu
3. The **Rename** dialog opens with the current name in the box, with everything before the file extension already selected
4. Type the new name and click **Save**

![The Rename dialog with the current folder name selected, and Cancel and Save buttons](https://www.clubpal.app/img/docs/file-manager-rename.png)

### Naming Requirements
- Duplicate names within the same folder are not allowed
- Use letters, numbers, spaces, dashes, and underscores
- These characters are not allowed in any name: `\ / ? % * : | " < >`
- Folder names additionally cannot contain a full stop
- Duplicate checking is case-insensitive, so "Policies" and "policies" count as the same name
- A file keeps its extension unless you edit it yourself. The dialog preselects only the part before the full stop, so typing replaces the name and leaves the extension alone.

### Naming Best Practices
- Use descriptive names that clearly indicate contents
- Consider a consistent naming convention for your club
- Include dates in a sortable format (e.g., "2025-10-Meeting-Minutes")
- Avoid very long names that might be truncated in the UI

## Searching for Files

Search finds a file by name anywhere in your club's files, not just in the folder you are looking at:

1. Type in the search box at the top of the File Manager
2. Results appear as you type
3. Clear the search box to go back to the normal folder listing

### Search Behaviour
- Search covers **every folder**, not only the one you are in. Searching moves you out of the current folder and shows matches from across your files.
- Search matches **file names only**. Folders are never returned as results, so searching for "Training Plans" will not find a folder of that name.
- Search is **not case-sensitive**
- Partial matches are shown (searching "train" finds "Training Plan 2025.pdf")
- Clearing the box returns you to the root folder, not to the folder you were in when you started searching

### Tips for Better Searching
- Use distinctive keywords in file names, since folder names are not searched
- Put dates in file names as well as folder names if you want to find things by year
- Keep search terms short and specific

## Deleting Files and Folders

### Delete Single Items
1. Click the three-dot menu (⋮) next to the item
2. Select **Delete** from the menu
3. Confirm the deletion in the warning dialog

### Delete Multiple Items
1. Select items using checkboxes
2. Click the **Delete** button in the selection toolbar
3. Confirm you want to delete all selected items

### Important Warnings
- **Deletion is permanent** - ClubPal does not have a recycle bin or trash feature
- **Folders delete all contents** - Deleting a folder removes all files and subfolders within it
- **Cannot be undone** - Always double-check before deleting
- **Consider downloading first** - For important files, download a backup before deleting

## Downloading Files

### Download Single File
1. Click the three-dot menu (⋮) next to the file
2. Select **Download File**
3. The file will download to your device

**Method 2: From File View Page**
1. Click on a file name to open the file view page
2. Click the **Download File** button (or the file will download automatically for non-previewable types)
3. The file will download to your device

### Download Multiple Files
Currently, ClubPal does not support bulk downloading multiple files as a ZIP archive. To download multiple files:
1. Download them individually, or
2. Move them to a single folder first, then download one by one

## Organizing Files by Category

A good practice is to create folders for different types of documents:

```
Files/
├── Coaching/
│   ├── Training Plans/
│   └── Session Notes/
├── Committee/
│   ├── Meeting Minutes/
│   └── Reports/
├── Policies/
│   ├── Health & Safety/
│   └── Code of Conduct/
├── Events/
│   ├── Tournament 2025/
│   └── Awards Night/
└── Member Resources/
    ├── Registration Forms/
    └── Handbooks/
```

This structure:
- Groups related documents together
- Makes files easy to find
- Supports permission-based sharing by category
- Scales as your club grows

## Bulk Actions Best Practices

To efficiently manage multiple files:

1. **Use consistent naming**: Makes it easier to select related files
2. **Select carefully**: Double-check your selection before moving or deleting
3. **Move before deleting**: Relocate files you might need later instead of deleting immediately
4. **Work in batches**: Don't try to manage too many items at once
5. **Use folders strategically**: Organize first, then use bulk actions for cleanup

## Common Organization Patterns

### By Time Period
```
Meeting Minutes/
├── 2023/
├── 2024/
└── 2025/
```

### By Team or Group
```
Teams/
├── Juniors/
├── Seniors/
└── Veterans/
```

### By Document Type
```
Resources/
├── PDFs/
├── Images/
└── Videos/
```

Choose the pattern that best matches how your club operates and how members will look for files.

## Next Steps

- **[Viewing Files](https://www.clubpal.app/docs/file-manager/viewing)** - Learn about file previews and the file details page
- **[Sharing Files](https://www.clubpal.app/docs/file-manager/sharing)** - Share files with your club members
- **[Storage & Quotas](https://www.clubpal.app/docs/file-manager/storage)** - Manage your storage space effectively