Organizing Existing Files

Already have documents sitting in Google Drive? Here's how to get them organized with Filently – step by step.

Written By Valentin from Filently

Last updated 4 days ago

How the file cleanup works with Filently

  1. After creating a Filently account, Filently automatically creates a new folder in your Google Drive root folder called _ Filently Inbox. You can also find a direct link to it on the Sources page in the app.

  2. Drop your existing files and folders into that inbox.

  3. Filently picks them up and processes each file according to the naming convention and folder structure you set up in Filently.

To get the best results, make sure:

  • Your root folder is clean. It should only contain folders that Filently can use for filing. Loose files sitting directly in the root folder may not get processed correctly.

  • You have a folder structure in place (or let Filently create one for you). See Section A: Folder structure below.

  • Your naming and filing instructions are set up correctly. See Section B: Naming and filing instructions below.

A: Folder structure

Depending on whether you want to keep your existing folder structure or build a new one, we suggest a different approach.

Keep your existing structure

If your Drive folders are already set up the way you like them, you are good to go. Just move the files you want to organize into the _ Filently Inbox. Filently will rename them and file them into your existing structure.

This works well if you have a backlog of unsorted files (for example a "To File" folder) but your overall folder structure is already in good shape.

Build a new structure

If your folder structure is messy or you are starting from scratch, follow these steps:

  1. Start with a representative sample. Move 15–50 files into the _ Filently Inbox. Ideally a mix of the different document types you work with. Filently analyzes them and suggests a folder structure that fits.

  2. Review and confirm your folder structure. Before processing more files, make sure the suggested structure works for you. Adjust it if needed — this is the foundation everything else is filed into.

  3. Test with a small batch. Move a second set of files into the _ Filently Inbox and review the results. Check that naming and filing instructions are working the way you want. Adjust if needed (see Section B in this article).

  4. Move the rest in. Once you are happy with the results, move your remaining files into the _ Filently Inbox. Filently will process them according to the structure and instructions you have confirmed.

Important: If Filently has already processed a file and detects it again in the Inbox, it will skip it to avoid duplicates.

→ See Setting Up Your Folder Structure and Custom Filing Instructions for the full walkthrough.

B: Naming and filing instructions

Before moving all your files into the _ Filently Inbox, check that your naming and filing instructions are accurate. You have a few options:

  • Learn from existing files: If your Drive already has a consistent naming structure (or different naming patterns per folder) keep the "Learn from existing files" option active. Filently will pick up on those patterns and use them as a reference.

  • Define it manually: Set exactly how files should be named — document type, date format, client name, and so on.

  • Custom filing instructions: Filently works well out of the box. No custom instructions needed to get started. If you notice something not filing the way you expect, this is where you can add specific rules for edge cases, for example "all invoices from Client X go into folder Y."

→ See Filename Format Settings and Custom Filing Instructions for details.

Processing large batches

There is no limit on how many files you can move into the inbox at once. Your plan determines how many documents can be processed per billing cycle. Files beyond that limit are never lost. They stay queued and are processed as more files become available (next billing cycle, an upgrade, or a top-up).

A few tips for larger archives:

  • Start with your most important files. You do not have to organize everything at once. Move a batch, review the results, and continue at your own pace.

  • Enable automatic filing once you trust Filently's suggestions. High-confidence files are sorted without manual review, which speeds things up significantly. → See Automatic Filing and Folder Creation for details.

Volume and pricing

For a one-time cleanup of a large archive, two options work well:

Option A: Monthly + Top-ups: Start with the Professional plan (250 files per month). Need more files to get through your full archive? Just send us a message and we will top up your monthly file limit individually. No long-term commitment needed.

Option B: Professional Yearly (Launch Deal): Right now: $232/year instead of $290. That's 4 months free. Includes 3,000 files per year. The better option if you also want ongoing organization after the cleanup.

Already on a trial? → Activate your plan
Not signed up yet? → View plans and pricing

What about a fully integrated cleanup in your Drive?

We are working on an improvement of this cleanup feature that lets Filently reorganize existing files directly in your Google Drive. No manual inbox moves required. If this is important to you, leave an upvote on the feature request so we know how to prioritize it.

Related articles