How to Manage Files

The **Files** page is where your agency uploads documents, sorts them into folders, and controls how each one is shared. Keeping files here means the same document can be attached to a portal, copied into a message as a merge tag, or sent to a client for signature.

### Overview

**Files** gives you one place to store your agency's documents. You upload files by dragging them onto the page, group them into folders, and search or filter the list to find what you need. Opening a file gives you a detail screen where you set its name, description, portal, default language, merge tag, expiration, and whether the file allows public downloads. The page lives under the **Admin** menu next to your portal settings, because most files end up in front of clients through a portal.

### Prerequisites

- An eCourtDate account that can see the **Admin** menu (your agency can hide navigation items for individual accounts)
- A portal, if you plan to share a file through a portal link or send it to a client
- The file you want to upload, saved on your computer

### How-To Steps

#### How to Open the Files Page

1. Click **Admin** in the top navigation bar.
2. Select **Files** from the dropdown menu.
3. Review the file count next to the **Files** heading to see how many files match your current view.

#### How to Upload Files

1. Open the folder you want the files to land in, because uploads go into the folder you currently have open.
2. Drag one or more files onto the **Drop files here to upload** zone, or click the zone and choose files from your computer.
3. Wait for the upload percentage in the drop zone to finish.
4. Confirm each uploaded file appears at the top of the file list.

The file picker accepts more than one file at a time, so you can select a batch instead of uploading one by one.

#### How to Search and Filter Files

1. Enter a term in the **Search files...** box at the top of the page. The list refreshes as you type.
2. Click the filter icon at the top right to open the filter panel.
3. Select a **File Type** to narrow the list to one format.
4. Select a **Creator** to see only files a specific person uploaded.
5. Select a **Sort By** value: **Date created**, **Name**, **Size**, or **Type**.
6. Check **Public files only**, **Include archived**, or **Include trashed** to change which files appear.
7. Click the clear icon inside the search box to reset the term.
8. Click **Load more files** at the bottom of the list to load the next batch of files.

#### How to Switch Between Grid and List View

1. Locate the two view buttons at the top right of the page.
2. Click the grid icon to see files as cards with a preview icon and status.
3. Click the list icon to see a table with **Name**, **Size**, **Type**, **Modified**, and **Actions** columns.
4. Click the **Name**, **Size**, **Type**, or **Modified** heading in list view to sort by that column.

#### How to Create and Use Folders

1. Click the add folder icon at the right of the breadcrumb row.
2. Enter a name in the **Enter folder name** box.
3. Click the check button to create the folder.
4. Click a folder card to open it.
5. Drag a file onto a folder to move that file into it.
6. Click the up arrow, or an earlier entry in the breadcrumb, to move back toward the top level.
7. Click the trash icon on a folder to delete it. Only empty folders can be deleted.

#### How to Edit a File

1. Click the pencil icon on a file to open its detail screen.
2. Update the **Name**, **Description**, **Internal Notes**, **Type**, or **Merge Tag** fields.
3. Select a **Default Language** for the file.
4. Select a **Portal** to attach the file to a portal. This dropdown saves as soon as you change it.
5. Select a **Folder** to move the file. This dropdown also saves as soon as you change it.
6. Check **Attach to Emails** if the file should be attached to outgoing email.
7. Click **Save**.

#### How to Share a File Publicly

1. Open the file and check **Allow Public Downloads**.
2. Select a **Portal** so the file has a portal link.
3. Click **Save**.
4. Click **Open Portal** at the top of the screen to view the file the way a client sees it, or scan the QR code next to that button.

You can also switch a file's visibility straight from the list. Click the actions icon (the vertical dots) on a file and select **Make Public** or **Make Private**.

#### How to Copy a Download Link or Merge Tag

1. Click the actions icon (the vertical dots) on a file.
2. Select **Copy Link** to copy a download link to your clipboard.
3. Select **Copy Merge Tag** to copy the file's merge tag. This option appears only when the file has a merge tag.
4. Select **Download** to open the file in a new tab.

#### How to Set an Expiration

1. Open the file you want to expire.
2. Enter a date in **Expiration Date**.
3. Enter a time in **Expiration Time**.
4. Click **Save**. The next time you open the file, an **Expiration** badge at the top shows when it expires.

#### How to Add Fields to a File

1. Open the file and find the **Add Field** card.
2. Enter a name in **Field Name**.
3. Select a **Field Type**: short text, long text, date, time, number, email, or phone.
4. Click **Add Field**.
5. Click **Delete Field** under any field you want to remove.

#### How to Trash, Archive, or Restore a File

1. Click the actions icon (the vertical dots) on a file in the list, select **Delete**, and confirm the prompt to move it to the trash.
2. Open a file and click **Tools** to reach the same actions from the detail screen.
3. Select **Archive** to archive the file, **Trash** to trash it, or **Restore** to bring an archived or trashed file back.
4. Check **Include archived** or **Include trashed** in the filter panel to find files you have already removed from the list.

#### How to Export the File List

1. Apply the search term and filters you want to export.
2. Click the download icon at the top right of the page.
3. Wait for the CSV to download. eCourtDate exports every file that matches your search and filters, not only the ones already loaded on screen.
4. Read the alert that follows, which tells you how many records were exported. On very large exports it asks you to narrow the filters to get the rest.

### What to Expect

Uploaded files appear at the top of the list as soon as each upload finishes, and eCourtDate confirms with a **File uploaded** alert. Files you delete are trashed rather than erased, so they keep a **Trashed** badge and can be restored. Changes to the **Portal** and **Folder** dropdowns save immediately, while the rest of the detail screen saves when you click **Save**. eCourtDate blocks edits to an archived or trashed file until you restore it.

### Best Practices

- Open the destination folder before you drop files in, since uploads go to the folder you have open.
- Give files a **Merge Tag** you recognize so you can drop them into messages with **Copy Merge Tag**.
- Leave **Allow Public Downloads** unchecked unless the file is meant to be downloadable from a portal link.
- Set an **Expiration Date** on documents that should only circulate for a limited time.
- Check **Include trashed** before you re-upload a file you cannot find, because it may only be trashed.
- Empty a folder before you try to delete it, since eCourtDate only removes empty folders.

### Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: Can I upload more than one file at a time?**

A: Yes. The drop zone takes multiple files at once, whether you drag them in or choose them from your computer. Each file uploads on its own and appears at the top of the list when it finishes.

**Q: Can I replace a file with a new version?**

A: No. The file detail screen has no upload control, so upload the new file, copy the settings you need onto it (such as **Merge Tag**, **Portal**, and **Allow Public Downloads**), then delete the old file.

**Q: Does deleting a file remove it permanently?**

A: No. **Delete** moves the file to the trash. Check **Include trashed** in the filter panel to find it, open it, then click **Tools** > **Restore**.

**Q: Where do my uploads go?**

A: Into the folder shown in the breadcrumb at the time you upload. To move a file afterward, open it and change the **Folder** dropdown, or drag the file onto a folder in the list.

**Q: Why can I not delete a folder?**

A: Folders have to be empty first. eCourtDate warns you when the folder still contains files or subfolders. Move or delete everything inside it, then delete the folder.

### Troubleshooting

**Issue:** A file you uploaded is not in the list.

**Symptoms:** Searching for the file name in the **Search files...** box returns **No files found**.

**Solution:** You may be inside a folder. Click the drive icon at the start of the breadcrumb to return to the top level and search again. If the file is still missing, open the filter panel and check **Include archived** and **Include trashed**.

**Issue:** Your changes to a file will not save.

**Symptoms:** An alert reads **Cannot edit archived or trashed File**, and a banner at the top says the file was archived or trashed.

**Solution:** Click **Tools** and select **Restore**, then make your edits and click **Save**.

**Issue:** A folder will not delete.

**Symptoms:** A warning says the folder contains files or subfolders.

**Solution:** Open the folder, move or delete everything inside it, then click the trash icon on the folder again.

**Issue:** The **Open Portal** button and QR code do not appear on a file.

**Symptoms:** The top of the file detail screen shows the file name and buttons, but no portal link or QR code.

**Solution:** Check **Allow Public Downloads**, select a **Portal**, and click **Save**. The portal link and QR code appear only for a public file attached to a portal.

### Related Articles

- [How to send files to clients](/how-to-send-files-to-clients)
- [How to assign files to clients](/how-to-assign-files-to-clients)
- [How to Use Merge Tags](/how-to-use-merge-tags)
- [How to Create Web Portals](/how-to-create-web-portals)