How to Organize Docs in Google Drive

Google Drive lets you store and access documents from any device. However, keeping these documents organized and easy to access is challenging. And this hard-to-access knowledge can negatively impact work processes since it costs your team 350 hours per year.

In this post, we'll show you seven ways to organize docs in Google Drive without much fuss.

1. Name files consistently

Having a consistent naming system enables you to type keywords into the search bar and have the confidence of knowing your document will pop up. If you don't name docs consistently, you're left guessing for keywords. 

Keep names short and relevant because it makes searching for and finding docs simple. For example, if you're naming a file for your sales team, you could add the word "Sales" in front to make it easier to find.

Avoid using words like "And" since it drags out the length of titles and is unnecessary.

2. Organize docs into folders and subfolders

After naming your documents consistently, organize them into folders and subfolders. This offers several benefits:

• Team members can find a document even if they don't know the full title

• Each folder can address different problems and solutions

• The team wiki is more detailed

You can create folders and subfolders within your Google Drive dashboard by clicking on the dropdown menu next to "My Drive." So, for example, you could build a team wiki where all essential information goes and sits under one virtual roof.

Whenever you or your team members create a document, simply choose the most relevant folder to put it in, and you won't struggle to find the doc in the future.

3. Color-code folders and docs

Color-coding your folders and documents allows you to visually recognize files within seconds. You won't have to manually search for a file to determine which category it's in.

This offers the additional benefit of being more visually appealing than boring gray documents, leading to more engagement.

You could also assign different meanings to various colors. For example, if you're working on a critical project and want to emphasize it, label it red and other projects blue or green. This doesn't have to be difficult since you can color-code folders in three easy steps:

1. Right-click on your folder

2. Select "Change Color"

3. Choose which color you'd like to use

The customization is endless. If you want to color-code all your documents, feel free to do so. Or, you can highlight important projects only, so they stand out.

4. Use special characters

Special characters are an easy way to make your folders more visually appealing and easy to access. These are some handy special characters:

• Emojis

• Hashtags

• Numbers

You also don't need an app to start implementing emojis. Simply head over to Google, search for an emoji you're looking for, and copy and paste it into Google Drive.

Hashtags also help keep track of documents. Start by naming a file #️001 and go up from there. But avoid doing this for every document because file management can be tedious if you're going up to #️1000. Only do this for priority files.

5. Implement Google Drive workspaces

Google Drive workspaces allow you to build your own priority page to better streamline work processes. You'll find this option above "My Drive." And by heading over to settings, feel free to make the priority page your default home page.

Priority uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyze your behavior and predict which documents you and your team will need next. It makes these results available at the top of your dashboard.

6. Use advanced search 

Regardless of how well you set up your Google Drive, if you have thousands of documents, it's a hassle to find them with a regular search. You'll search for a keyword and several unrelated documents will pop up.

But with advanced search, select the dropdown menu next to the search bar, and you'll be able to filter files using dates, keywords, owner, and file type. This makes for a more seamless Google Drive experience.

7. Implement document management software like Kbee

There's only so much you can do to manually organize documents within Google Drive. Once you manage hundreds or thousands of documents, Google Drive becomes impractical and tedious.

Instead, opt for document management software like Kbee. Kbee offers helpful features like:

• Easy management of thousands of documents

• Custom wiki domain, logo, layout, and color schemes

• Integration with Google Docs and your website domain

This way, you can create a team knowledge base within seconds, and whenever someone faces a specific problem, they can simply consult the wiki page. This saves hundreds of hours because your entire team doesn't have to navigate a clunky Google Drive interface.

Kbee makes organizing docs in Google Drive easy

Even after implementing all these tips and strategies, manually organizing documents within Google Drive might still be impractical if you're managing lots of files. This is where Kbee can help.

Kbee lets you transport all Google Drive files to your Kbee dashboard within seconds so nobody will have to hunt for information using Google Drive. If you’re looking to streamline the Google Drive management process, consider signing up for a free Kbee trial.

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