As you start to use Google Docs more and more to create or edit documents, it can become difficult to manage those documents.
Much like when you store files in Windows, organization can be an issue. One way that you can resolve this is by learning how to create a folder in Google Docs.
How to Make a Folder in Google Docs to Organize Documents
- Sign in to Google Docs.
- Open a document or create a new one.
- Click the Move button.
- Click the New folder button.
- Give the folder a name, then select the blue check mark.
- Select Move if you want to put this document in that folder.
Our guide continues below with additional information on how to create a folder in Google docs, including pictures of these steps.
Related Topic: You can share your Drive files with other people by following the steps in our how to let others edit Google Doc article.
Once you start to use Google Drive more and more to store your files, you will likely run into situations where it’s difficult to find everything that you need.
Since Google Drive files are stored in a long list by default, you will typically need to scroll through that list or search for files that you need. This can be tedious, which can leave you looking for a way to create folder and make it much easier to find all the files that you need.
Luckily you have the ability to create a new folder from the regular Google Docs interface, and you can even move the currently open document into the newly created folder.
If you just need to sign in to Google drive to view or manage your files, then read our Google Drive sign in article for more information.
How to Create a Google Docs Folder (Guide with Pictures)
The steps in this article were performed in the desktop version of the Google Chrome Web browser, but will also work in other desktop browsers like Firefox or Edge.
These steps will show you how to create a folder in Google Docs.
Step 1: Sign in to Google Documents and either open an existing document or create a new one.
Open a Google Docs file.
Step 2: Click the Move button at the top of the window, to the right of the document name.
Select the Move button at the top of the screen.
Step 3: Select the New folder button at the bottom-left corner of the dialog box.
Choose New folder from the bottom of the dropdown menu.
Step 4: Type a name for this folder into the field at the top of the dialog box, then click the blue check mark to the right of the folder name.
Give the folder a name and click the checkmark button.
Step 5: Choose the Move here option if you would like to move the current document to that folder. Otherwise, you can click the x to close this dialog box.
Click Move here to add the document to the folder, or click the x to exit.
Now that you know how to create a folder in Google Docs you will be able to make new ones in the future, then move your documents into these folders so that they are easier to find in the future.
Our tutorial continues below with additional discussion about how you can create folders in Google Docs so that those folders show up in your Google Drive account.
More Information on Creating Folders in Google Docs
Once you click the folder icon from the new folder dialog box and give that folder a name, it will appear as a new folder in Google Drive, as well as in Google Docs.
Since Google Drive folders sync on multiple devices, you will be able to open the Google Drive folder on the current computer, as well as any other computers where you are signed in to the same Google account.
This also means that you can access and use the folder system if you want to access them from your phone or tablet.
When you see a folder listed in Google Drive you can perform a few actions on it when you are viewing those items on your laptop or desktop computer.
For example, by right clicking on the folder you will view a drop down menu that includes options that let you share that folder (either directly with another Google user, or you can click Copy link and send them a direct link to the folder), or you can choose the Rename option if you would like to give the folder a different name.
One other way that you can manage folders from Google Drive is if you click the New button at the upper left corner of the Google Drive interface, then select the Folder option at the top of the list.
Yet another way that you can interact with folders in Google drive is to select the folder, then use the options at the top right corner of the window. This includes some of the same options that you see if you right click on the folder, such as if you want to delete the folder, share it, or create a link to the folder.
How to Create a New Folder in Google Docs on an iPhone (Guide with Pictures)
The Google Docs iPhone app is a great tool for creating or editing documents.
At first, it might seem like you wouldn’t be able to easily work with documents on a mobile device, but the interface is pretty intuitive and easy to use, and it’s definitely a viable option if you need to make some document edits while you’re on the go.
If you would also like to be able to organize files on your iPhone by making new folders from your Apple smartphone, then these steps can show you how.
Step 1: Open the Google Docs app on your iPhone.
If you don’t already have it then you can download it here.
Step 2: Touch the three dots to the right of one of the documents listed.
Step 3: Select the Move option from the drop down menu.
Step 4: Choose the My Drive option.
Step 5: Tap the New folder icon at the upper right corner of the screen.
Step 6: Type a name for the new folder, then tap the Create button.
After you click Create, this will add a new folder to the main page of the Google Drive file list. You can then select folder options if you tap on that folder and do things like view the files that are stored in that folder and open them.
Do you have an entire folder of files in Google Drive that you want to download? You may do this directly from your Google Drive account if you have a whole folder full of data that you want to preserve or back up on your PC.
How to Download a Google Drive Folder
Although the prior instructions in this article covered how to copy files, you might want to make a copy of a complete folder and save it to a different location.
For more details on this subject, check our tutorial on how to download a folder from Google Drive.
Thankfully, Google Drive includes a feature that enables you to do this; to use it, you must take the following actions:
- Log in to Google Drive.
- To choose the folder, click on it.
- In the top-right corner of the file list, select the three dots.
- Choose Download.
- Click OK after selecting a location on your computer.
The folder and all of its contents should now be contained in a zip file. If you want to extract these files in Windows, simply right-click the zip file, select Extract All, and then follow the wizard’s instructions.
Frequently Asked Questions About How to Organize Your Google Docs Files With Folders
Can I rename a folder in Google Docs?
Yes, it is possible for you to change the name of a Google Docs folder.
Since default folders will usually just be called “untitled folder”, changing the name can be pretty useful.
Simply right-click on the folder and choose the Rename option. You can then delete the current name in the title field and give it a better one.
Note that this also works with regular files as well, if you want to change the file name of an existing document. This is also useful because new documents are just titled as “Untitled document” which isn’t very helpful.
How do I delete a Google Docs folder?
If you have an unwanted folder in Google Drive or Google Docs you can select the folder, then click the trash can icon at the top-right corner of the window.
Note that this will also delete any files that are in the folder.
If you delete a folder accidentally you can open the Trash, then right-click on the folder and choose the Restore option.
How do you make folders in Google Drive?
While you can access folders in Google Drive that you make from Google Docs and you can even add multiple files of different types to those folders, you might want to make a new one.
If you go to Google Drive at https://drive.google.com you can click the plus sign at the top of the column on the left side of the window, then select the New folder option.
How do you share a Google Docs folder?
if you would like to grant access to your folder to someone else then you can right-click on the folder and select the Share option. You will then be able to add names or emails for the people with whom you want to share the folder.
What are the Gmail make a new folder steps?
Gmail uses something called “labels” instead of the folders that you can make in Google Docs.
You can create a new label in Gmail by going to your inbox, then clicking the _ button next to Labels in the left column.
You can then give the label a new name and set up filters to automatically organize files into that label, or you can drag and drop them there manually from your inbox.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to create folders in Google Drive from both the Web version of the application and the mobile app version, you will be able to place a new document or existing document in the folders that you create.
Then when you open Google Drive you will be able to find those files much more easily, and even move files between the different folders that you have created in Google’s cloud storage service.
Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read over 50 million times.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.
His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.