Google Drive is the dwelling place of tons of important files and folders! Starting from music, video, and image files to documents, presentations, and podcasts, we store almost every necessary file on Google Drive.
We must admit that our busy schedule has made us really lazy. Our negligence is the cause behind Google Drive getting messier day by day. It becomes a real challenge to get our hands on the required files at moments of urgency.
The solution to all this messiness lies in organizing Google Drive. To help you come out of this terrible pool of scattered files and folders, we have come up with some fantastic tips that will tell you how to organize Google Drive.
Come on, let’s see how we can turn our working platform into a neat and organized one!
How to Organize Google Drive – Tips & Tricks
Here are all the tips and tricks you can learn on how to organize Google Drive that will help you keep track of every data on it.
Tip #1: Organize the Folders as well as the Subfolders into Folders
The first step is a simple one in which you just have to organize the files categorically by storing these into proper folders and subfolders in Google Drive. For instance, you can separate folders for storing images, videos, documents, etc.
Let’s see how to create a folder in Google Drive and the way to shift the files to the folders.
- Click on the arrow present next to My Drive. This will provide you with a complete list of all your current folders.
- You can now quickly click and drag the files to the respective folders.
- Also, you can click on the folder from the application and then to that folder, move the file.
- If you desire to create a new folder, go to New and click on Folder. You will be asked to give a name to the folder. Always follow a proper naming convention; we will talk about naming folders in the next section.
Be mindful of what you have selected before creating the folder.
- If you wish to keep it at the top level, click on My Drive and then create the new folder.
- You may also create a sub-folder to keep things in a further refined and systematic way.
- Next, choose the parent or main folder first. Now, you can click and drag the files into this folder.
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Tip #2: Follow A Specified Naming Convention
The naming convention is nothing but the way in which you name the files. Having a consistent naming convention will help you get the required files instantly, and you won’t have to do too much searching and digging to get the files.
Try to keep the file names short and crisp. Make the file name meaningful so that you can recall what it contains by giving a glance at it.
You may also add dates in the file names to understand better when this file was stored or created and what it contains. If you want to keep an abbreviated name to the files, do so by CAPITALISING the letters.
Choose any naming custom that you find fit for you, and you will have a well-organized Google Drive.
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Tip #3: Add File And Folder Descriptions
Google Drive lets you add necessary information to files and folders stored here. Details and activity of any file or folder can be seen by first selecting that file or folder and then clicking on View Details present at the top-right.
You can now add any extra information to that file or folder. It can be an important note, a meaningful description, or literally anything that makes it easier for you to search the file.
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Tip #4: Delete Old Or Unimportant Files
Once you are done with moving the essential files to essential folders, it is obvious that you will come across some unimportant or duplicate files.
It is advisable that you delete these files as you won’t be needing them anymore. As a result, Google Drive will look further clean and organized.
Just highlight the file and right-click on it. Now, click on Remove. You won’t get any confirmation message as to whether you are sure to delete the file. But, you will be getting an option called Undo immediately after you delete any file/folder. If you wish to get the file back, click on Undo.
But, if you miss the chance of undoing the deletion act, select the Bin button from the menu bar. Right-click on the files that you wish to get back. Now, click Restore. The deleted files on Google Drive will return back here.
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Tip #5: How to Organize Google Drive using Colour-Coding
All the folders in Google Drive are actually grey by default. You can identify the files quickly by coloring the folders and making each color a code to recall what that folder contains instantly.
You can choose from among 24 colors to jazz up the dull grey look of your Google Drive.
Right-click on any folder and move to the Change Color option. Now, choose any of your favorite colors from the color mosaic. The folder will now be altered to your chosen color.
Clearing the clutter in Google Drive has now been made easier by color-coding the folders. Just a quick glance at the folder, and you will remember what files are present in it.
Tip #6: Starring The Vital Files/Folders
Google Drive stores it in a specially created folder called “Starred” whenever you star any folder. The Starred section is present on the left side of the menu.
Starring the important files help you stay organized and saves your time when you are in the urgency of getting your hands on some really crucial files.
Just right-click on a folder and choose to Add to Starred. Now, you can access the starred folders by clicking on the Starred section present on the left side of the Google Drive window.
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Final Words
Now that you are properly equipped with the knowledge as to how to organize Google Drive, you can start working towards eliminating the mess from your drive.
Sparing just a few minutes towards cleaning and organizing your Google Drive will benefit you in the long run.
Excessively busy as we all are, systematically maintaining the digital work platform will help us access the crucial files almost instantly.
So, delay not and start gearing up towards organizing the Google Drive. All the Best!
Hello, my name is Shirley. I’m a Google Drive expert and have been working with the platform since it launched. I’ve written extensively about Google Drive tips and tricks, and have created numerous tutorials on how to get the most out of the platform. I also enjoy creating tutorials to help people learn how to use Drive like pros. Read more