#Folders — Organizing Your Documents

Because "that one document I saved somewhere" is not a filing system.

#What It Does

Folders let you organize your documents into named collections, exactly like file folders on a computer — except these are searchable, the AI knows what's inside them, and they look considerably nicer than a manila envelope. Group your receipts together, keep warranties in their own folder, stash medical records separately, or create whatever structure makes sense for your life.

You can nest folders inside other folders, move documents between them, and let the AI generate custom icons that give you a visual hint of what's inside. It's the kind of organization that feels satisfying without requiring a label maker.

#How to Use It

#The Default Folder

Every account starts with My Documents as the root folder. This is home base — all documents land here unless you specify otherwise. You can create as many subfolders as you like inside it.

#Special Folders

  • Don't Panic — The help guides folder (the one you're reading right now). It's pinned to the top of your documents list so it's always easy to find. You can't accidentally delete or move it, which is exactly the kind of guardrail a help folder should have.
  • Receipts — A common default for uploaded purchase records.

#iOS App

Creating a folder:

  1. Open the Documents tab in My Things
  2. Tap the New Folder button
  3. Enter a name for your folder
  4. The folder appears in your current location, ready to receive documents

Navigating folders:

  • Tap a folder card to open it and see its contents
  • The breadcrumb trail at the top shows your current path (e.g., My Documents > Receipts > 2026)
  • Tap any breadcrumb to jump back to that level — no need to hit the back button repeatedly

Moving documents:

  1. Enter selection mode by long-pressing a document or tapping the selection icon
  2. Tap to select the documents you want to move
  3. Tap the Move action
  4. Choose the destination folder
  5. Documents are moved instantly

#Admin Web

Creating a folder:

  1. Go to the Documents section
  2. Click the New Folder button
  3. Enter a folder name and confirm

Navigating:

  • Click folder cards to drill down
  • Use the breadcrumb trail to navigate back up
  • The folder view shows document thumbnails and counts at a glance

Moving documents (drag-and-drop):

  • Simply drag a document card and drop it onto a folder card to move it
  • This is the fastest way to organize on the web — grab, drag, done

Moving documents (menu):

  • Right-click or use the document menu to select Move to Folder
  • Choose the destination from the folder tree

#Via Chat

Your AI assistant knows about your folder structure. Try:

  • "What folders do I have?"
  • "Show me documents in my Kitchen folder."
  • "How many receipts are in my Receipts folder?"
  • "What's in the Warranties folder?"

#Via Claude Desktop (MCP)

If you're connected via MCP, the following tools are available:

  • ambientchat_get_documents — search across all folders or filter by folder
  • ambientchat_get_document_content — retrieve a specific document's full content

The AI navigates your folder structure automatically when answering questions about your documents.

#Folder Features

#Thumbnails & Icons

Folders display a collage of document thumbnails so you can see at a glance what's inside — a folder full of receipts looks different from one full of product manuals. If a folder has fewer documents, it shows individual thumbnails instead of a collage.

#AI Folder Icons

The system can generate a custom AI icon for your folder based on its name and contents. A folder called "Kitchen Appliances" might get a toaster icon, while "Travel Documents" might get a suitcase. These are generated automatically but can be regenerated if you'd prefer a different look.

#Document Counts

Each folder card shows the number of documents it contains, so you can quickly gauge which folders are growing and which are sparse. Counts include documents in subfolders.

#Nested Folders

Folders can contain subfolders for deeper organization. A structure like Receipts > 2026 > March is perfectly valid if that's how your brain works. The breadcrumb trail keeps you oriented no matter how deep you go.

#Tips & Tricks

  • Keep it flat unless you have a reason not to. A handful of well-named top-level folders (Receipts, Warranties, Medical, Home, Work) is usually better than an elaborate hierarchy. You can always add depth later.
  • Use descriptive folder names. "Stuff" and "Misc" are the enemies of future-you. "Kitchen Appliance Manuals" is a folder name that pays dividends when you're troubleshooting your dishwasher at 10 PM.
  • The Don't Panic folder stays pinned at the top. No matter how many folders you create, the help guides are always right there. It's the one folder that genuinely wants to be found.

#Options

Setting What It Does Default
Default upload folder Where new documents go when you don't choose a folder My Documents
AI folder icons Whether the system generates custom icons for folders On

#Known Limitations

  • No drag-and-drop on iOS. On the mobile app, use selection mode and the Move action to reorganize documents. Drag-and-drop is available on the Admin Web.
  • Deeply nested folders can be hard to navigate on mobile. The breadcrumb trail helps, but on a phone screen, four or five levels deep starts to feel cramped. Consider flattening your structure if you find yourself scrolling the breadcrumbs.
  • Folder deletion requires emptying first. You can't delete a folder that still contains documents or subfolders. Move or delete the contents first. This is intentional — it prevents accidental data loss, which is the kind of limitation that's actually a feature.

#Version History

Version Date What Changed
1 2026-03-01 Initial guide