Organizing with folders: hierarchical structure

Folders are the foundation of organization in Polimake. They let you create a hierarchical structure that reflects how you think about and work with your images, making it much easier to find what you need when you need it.

This guide will show you how to create folders, organize them effectively, and maintain a structure that grows with you without becoming cluttered.

What are folders in Polimake?

Folders are containers that let you group related images within a project. Think of them as:

• Categories for organizing by type of content
• Subprojects for separating different aspects of a project
• Timelines for organizing by date or campaign
• Classifications by client, product, style, etc.

Each folder can contain both images and other folders (subfolders), letting you create structures as simple or as complex as you need.

Creating folders

Creating a simple folder

To create a new folder:

1. Navigate to the project or folder where you want to create the new folder
2. Click "New folder" or the "+" button and select "Folder"
3. Enter the name of the folder
4. Confirm the creation

The folder will appear immediately in your current view and in the navigation sidebar.

Tip: Use descriptive, specific names. Avoid generic names like "New folder" or "Folder 1".

Creating multiple folders at once

If you need to create several related folders:

1. Use the folder creation dialog
2. Add multiple names separated or in a list
3. Confirm to create them all at once

This is useful when you're setting up the initial structure of a project.

Creating folders from a file structure

When you upload images, you can preserve the folder structure:

1. Select a complete folder from your computer
2. Drag it over Polimake
3. The folders are created automatically with the same structure

This is the fastest way to migrate an organized library from your file system.

Hierarchical structure

Nesting levels

Folders can be nested across multiple levels:

Project: Client ABC
├── Summer Campaign 2025
│   ├── Product Photography
│   │   ├── Apparel
│   │   └── Accessories
│   └── Lifestyle
└── Winter Campaign 2025
    └── ...

Recommendation: Keep a maximum of 3-4 levels of depth to make navigation easier. Very deep structures can be hard to navigate.

Navigating between folders

To move through the structure:

• Click a folder: Enter the folder
• Breadcrumbs: Click any level to go back
• Sidebar: Expand/collapse to see the full structure

Organization strategies

By content type

Organize by image type:

Project
├── Products
├── Lifestyle
├── Banners
└── Stock Images

When to use: When you work with different types of visual content that serve distinct purposes.

By date or campaign

Organize chronologically:

Project
├── 2025
│   ├── January
│   ├── February
│   └── March
└── 2024

Or by campaigns:

Project
├── Summer Campaign 2025
├── Fall Campaign 2025
└── Winter Campaign 2025

When to use: When time or campaign is the main organizational factor.

By client or project

Separate by entity:

Agency
├── Client A
│   ├── Project 1
│   └── Project 2
└── Client B
    └── Project 1

When to use: When you manage multiple clients or distinct projects within the same space.

By status or stage

Organize by phase of the work:

Project
├── In Review
├── Approved
├── Drafts
└── Archive

When to use: When you need to separate images by their status in your workflow.

Best practices

Consistent naming

Establish a naming system and stick to it:

• Standard format: [Category] - [Subcategory]
• Consistent dates: YYYY-MM-DD or MM-YYYY
• Avoid abbreviations unless they're universal across your team

Example of a consistent system:

• Products - Apparel
• Products - Accessories
• Lifestyle - Summer
• Lifestyle - Winter

Scalable structure

Design your structure with growth in mind:

• Start broad: Main categories first
• Add details later: Subfolders when needed
• Keep it flexible: A structure that can expand

Avoid over-organizing

Don't create too many unnecessary folders:

• ❌ Avoid: A folder for each image
• ✅ Better: Group related images logically
• Rule of thumb: If a folder has fewer than 5 images, consider whether it really needs to be a separate folder

Review and adjust regularly

Keep your structure up to date:

• Review periodically whether the structure is still useful
• Reorganize when you find new patterns
• Delete empty folders to keep things tidy

Moving images between folders

To reorganize existing images:

1. Select the image (or multiple images)
2. Drag it to the destination folder
3. Or use the context menu and select "Move to folder"

The images will move while keeping all their metadata and AI analysis.

Tip: Use drag & drop for quick visual reorganization. It's more intuitive than menus.

Renaming folders

To change a folder's name:

1. Right-click the folder
2. Select "Rename" or "Edit name"
3. Enter the new name
4. Confirm the change

The change is reflected immediately throughout the structure.

Deleting folders

To delete a folder:

1. Right-click the folder
2. Select "Delete"
3. Confirm the deletion

Important: Deleting a folder also deletes all the images and subfolders inside it. Make sure you really want to remove all the content before confirming.

FAQ about folders

How many folders can I create?
There's no practical limit on the number of folders. However, keeping a manageable structure (fewer than 50 main folders per project) makes navigation easier.

Can I move folders between projects?
Currently folders are tied to a specific project. If you need to move an entire folder, you can recreate it in the other project and move the images.

Do folders affect search?
Search looks across the entire project regardless of folders. However, you can filter results by a specific folder in some cases.

Can I have images in the project root and in folders?
Yes, you can have images both in the project root and inside folders. Organize based on what makes the most sense for your workflow.

How do I find a folder quickly?
Use the sidebar to navigate, or search for the folder name in the general search. Breadcrumbs also help you understand where you are in the structure.

Can I duplicate a folder?
This feature may be available in future versions. For now, you can create a new folder and copy the images manually.

Conclusion

Folders are powerful tools for keeping your library organized. With a well-thought-out structure and consistent names, you'll find your images much faster and work more efficiently.

Once you have your folder structure in place, you can start to move images with drag & drop to organize them visually.

Next steps

1. Plan your structure before creating folders
2. Create the main folders of your project
3. Establish a consistent naming system
4. Organize existing images into the appropriate folders
5. Review and adjust the structure as needed

Your library will be perfectly organized in no time!