Setup: Project File Folder Templates And Categories

Every project’s files end up in one long list, and nobody can find the signed contract.
Your insurance jobs need folders your retail jobs don’t, like Claim Documents and Supplements.
You want every job to have a Permits folder without anyone having to make it.
You want to filter a project’s files to just invoices or just warranties.

Only users with Feature Settings access can manage folder templates and categories. By default, that’s Admins and Managers.
Set up your tracks and work types first. Folder templates can be matched to them. See “Setup: Project Work Tracks” and “Setup: Project Work Types.”
Templates apply to new projects only. Changing a template doesn’t add, rename or remove folders on projects you already have.

Folder templates: go to Settings > Feature Settings > Files > Folder Templates.
File categories: go to Settings > Feature Settings > Files > Categories.

	Folders	Categories
What it is	Where a file lives on a project	A label on a file
Example	Permits, Insurance, Miscellaneous Files	Contract, Invoice, Receipt, Warranty
Set up in	Folder Templates	Categories
Helps your team	Browse a project’s files	Filter files by kind

You can use both. For example, a signed contract can sit in a “Sales Documents” folder with the category Contract.

When a project is created, Exterio picks the template that matches its track and work type, and creates that template’s folders on the project.

Template	When it’s used
A template with tracks or work types chosen	On new projects that match those tracks and work types
The Default Template	On new projects that don’t match any other template

A star marks your default template on the Folder Templates page.

Click Add Template, name it, choose where it applies, add folders, and save.

Click Add Template.
Enter a Template Name, like “Insurance Projects.”
Add a Description if it helps, like “Folders for insurance claim jobs.”
Choose the Tracks this template is for, like Insurance. Leave it empty for any track.
Choose the Work Types this template is for, like Roofing. Leave it empty for any work type.
Under Folders, click Add Folder and enter a Folder name. Repeat for each folder.
To put a folder inside another folder, click the + on the folder.
Save the template.

To make it the template used when nothing else matches, turn on Default Template.

Template	Tracks	Folders
Every project (default)	Any	Contracts, Permits, Invoices, Miscellaneous Files
Insurance Projects	Insurance	Claim Documents, Adjuster Reports, Supplements, Contracts, Permits, Invoices
Repairs	Repairs	Before and After, Invoices

To edit: click the pencil on the template, make your changes, and click Save Changes.
To turn off: turn off the template’s switch. A turned-off template isn’t used on new projects.
To delete: click the delete icon, then confirm.
To reorder: drag a category by its handle. Categories appear in this order in dropdowns.
To rename: click the pencil on the category.
To turn off: turn off the category’s switch. A turned-off category doesn’t appear when your team uploads or filters files. Files that already have it keep it.

Go to Settings > Feature Settings > Files > Categories, click Add Category, enter a Name, and click Add Category.

Your team picks a category when they upload a file, and can filter files by category.

The demo account includes Contract, Invoice, Receipt, Blueprint, Insurance, Permit and Warranty.

To reorder: drag a category by its handle. Categories appear in this order in dropdowns.
To rename: click the pencil on the category.
To turn off: turn off the category’s switch. A turned-off category doesn’t appear when your team uploads or filters files. Files that already have it keep it.

Start with one default template. A handful of folders on every project covers most companies. Add track-specific templates only for tracks that really need different folders, like Insurance.
Keep folders few and obvious. Five folders everyone understands beat fifteen nobody uses. If your team isn’t sure where a file goes, there are too many.
Use categories for the files you hunt for. Contracts, invoices, permits and warranties are the files people ask for months later. Give each one a category.
Turn off, don’t delete, categories you’ve used. Turning a category off keeps it on past files, so they’re still easy to find.