File & asset management resource

Build a basic file and folder system

Answer a few practical questions, then download starter resources you can use to set up a shared file system, document naming rules, and begin tracking reusable assets.

Read the Case Study Download the Original PDF

What this creates

An AI refinement prompt for improving the structure
A Word or TXT guide with the folder map and naming rules
A reusable asset index CSV
A setup script for creating folders locally

System discovery

Answer the setup questions that reveal how the team finds, shares, and retires files.

OrganizationName the company, department, client, or personal workspace this system will support.Team or departmentIdentify the group that will use and maintain these folders most often.System nameChoose the root folder name that should appear at the top of the structure.System ownerAdd the person, role, or team responsible for keeping the system useful.

Platforms or storage locationsList the shared drives, libraries, tools, or cloud platforms where files currently live.

Company and ecosystem

Start with what the organization offers, where content lives, and who touches it.

What problems should this system solve?Capture the current friction: duplicate files, unclear finals, missing ownership, stale assets, or folders people avoid.

What products, services, or offerings does this support?Blend the PDF discovery prompts for products and services with the practical scope of the folder system.

Where are those offerings and their content accessed or stored?Include websites, portals, shared drives, software, servers, vendors, spreadsheets, and other source locations.

Are there future offerings or natural groupings?Note new products in development, product or service categories, recurring programs, or industry standards that should shape the structure.

Who needs to use or access these files?List internal and external touchpoints: contributors, SMEs, leaders, sales, IT, marketing, customer service, clients, vendors, prospects, and partners.

Departments and relationships

Map who owns the work, what they create, and how those pieces relate.

What departments or divisions are involved?Identify the departments, divisions, vendors, or partner groups that need clear ownership in the system.

What processes do those teams own or support?Combine owned processes with the processes your team helps with, such as approvals, publishing, campaigns, reporting, or sales enablement.

What content is created by each group?Include external and internal content: websites, ads, reports, dashboards, portals, talking points, invoices, and working documents.

How are products, departments, people, and files related?Capture relationships that should be reflected in folders, metadata, naming, permissions, or asset reuse.

Your team and current files

Document the existing file reality before deciding what to rebuild.

What does the current file structure look like?Summarize the current folders, platforms, personal drives, shared libraries, and tool-specific spaces.

What files, folders, or spaces are highest priority?Identify frequently used areas that should not be buried, plus files that are important for daily work.

How do people naturally look for files?Note the labels people search by and the easy or hard-to-find items the structure should address.

Are names confusing or are files often misplaced?Capture naming issues, vague labels, duplicate files, inconsistent abbreviations, and common misplacements.

What should move, stay active, or archive?Define the cleanup scope before building: active work, reusable assets, historical projects, and anything that should not be migrated.

Folder structure

Choose the lifecycle stages and top-level groupings that shape the folder map.

Sorting numbersPrefix major folders and lifecycle stages with numbers so they sort in a fixed order.

Lifecycle stagesEdit the nested working stages added inside the activated groups. Archive always stays at the root as ~Archive.

Add predefined sectionChoose only the folder groupings this system needs. Removed sections can be added back here.

Assets & naming

Define reusable asset labels and the naming pattern people should follow.

Asset library foldersAdd the special subdirectories that live inside the asset library, such as Logos, Reports, Templates, or Photos. These are separate from the asset type abbreviations used in file names.

Folder name

Reusable asset typesAdd the full asset type name and the short abbreviation people should use in file names.

Full nameAbbreviation

File naming patternSelect a spacer, then add the details people should include so files are findable without relying on memory, dates, or folder context alone.Spacer type

Convention partExample

Governance

Set the expectations that keep the file system healthy after launch.

Permissions approachDescribe who can view, edit, approve, archive, or restrict sensitive materials.

Review cadenceSet how often owners should check usage, access, naming rules, and stale content.

Archive cadenceDecide when inactive projects should move out of active working folders.

Downloads

Download individual pieces of the system when you only need one starting point.

AI Refinement Prompt

A copy-and-paste prompt that uses these answers to refine the folder system with an AI assistant.

Guide (Word)

An editable Word guide with the folder map, usage notes, naming rules, and governance cadence.

Guide (TXT)

A plain text guide with the same structure and direction for copying into other tools.

Asset Index

A starter spreadsheet for tracking reusable files and assets.

Setup Script

A PowerShell script that creates the folder structure locally.