How to Use the File Manager in CrmLeaf
All editions. Core feature - no add-on required. Attaching files held in Google Drive or OneDrive requires the Drive Integration add-on module.
Availability: All editions. Core feature - no add-on required. Attaching files held in Google Drive or OneDrive requires the Drive Integration add-on module.
Overview
The File Manager is a nested folder tree for the documents your team needs to keep in one place but which do not belong to a single record. It is scoped per Company and per Organization, and it is separate from the attachments that live on individual records.
Use it for shared material such as policies, templates, certificates and reference documents. Use record attachments for anything that belongs to one lead, project, task, invoice or purchase order.
How It Works
You build a folder tree and upload files into it. The tree belongs to the Company and to the Organization you have selected, so each workspace has its own structure. Files are written to whichever storage destination the account has configured.
Create folders → Upload files → Organise into the tree → Team members open files → Download when needed
- Folders can be nested, so you can build a structure that matches how your business thinks about its documents.
- The tree is scoped per Company and Organization. Switching Organization shows that workspace's own folders.
- It is separate from per-entity attachments. A file attached to a project, task, invoice or survey stays with that record and does not appear in the File Manager tree.
- Files are written to the account's storage destination, which is either local storage or Amazon S3, and they count towards the plan's storage limit.
Who Can Use This Feature?
Administrator
- Design the folder structure so people can find documents without asking.
- Confirm the storage destination is configured before the team uploads in volume.
- Watch usage against the plan's storage limit.
User
- Create folders and upload files within the workspace you are in.
- Find and Download the documents you need.
- Keep record-specific files on the record instead of in the shared tree.
Access depends on the modules and role assigned by your Administrator.
Prerequisites
- File storage is configured for the account, either local or S3.
- You are in the Company and Organization whose folder tree you want to use.
- Storage headroom remains under the plan's limit.
File Manager Compared with Record Attachments
| Aspect | File Manager | Record attachment |
|---|---|---|
| What it holds | Shared documents that do not belong to one record | Files belonging to a specific lead, project, task, invoice, purchase order, survey or other record |
| Structure | A nested folder tree | Attached directly to the record |
| Scope | Per Company and Organization | Follows the record and its own visibility |
| Typical use | Policies, templates, certificates, reference material | Survey photographs, receipts, delivery proof, signed documents |
For Administrators
Step 1: Confirm storage is configured
What to do: Confirm the account's storage destination is set and working before the team starts uploading.
What to verify: A test upload succeeds and downloads intact.
Step 2: Design the folder structure
What to do: Agree a small number of top-level folders that reflect how your business looks for documents, and create them before inviting users to upload. A structure agreed once is far easier than a reorganisation later.
What to verify: Someone who did not design the structure can find a document in it.
Step 3: Repeat per Organization if needed
What to do: Because the tree is scoped per Organization, create the structure in each workspace that needs one. Keep the naming consistent across workspaces.
What to verify: Switching Organization shows that workspace's own folders with the expected names.
Step 4: Brief users on what belongs where
What to do: Tell users to attach record-specific files to the record and to use the File Manager only for shared material. This is the single decision that keeps both usable.
What to verify: Spot-check the tree after a few weeks. It should not be filling up with files that belong on records.
For Users
Step 1: Open the File Manager
What to do: Open the File Manager for the workspace you are in. Check the active Company and Organization first, because each workspace has its own tree.
What to verify: The folder tree you expect is shown.
Step 2: Create a folder
What to do: Add a folder, inside an existing folder if you need a nested structure, and give it a name your colleagues will understand.
What to verify: The folder appears in the tree in the right place.
Step 3: Upload files
What to do: Open the folder and Upload your files.
What to verify: Each file is listed in the folder and can be opened.
Step 4: Find and download a document
What to do: Browse the tree, or use Search, then Download the file you need.
What to verify: The downloaded file opens correctly.
Step 5: Keep record files on the record
What to do: Attach anything that belongs to a single lead, project, task, invoice, purchase order or survey to that record rather than to the File Manager, so the file travels with the work.
What to verify: The file is visible on the record to everyone who can see the record.
Expected Result
Your workspace has a nested folder tree containing the documents your team shares, files upload and download successfully, and record-specific files remain attached to their records.
Service Organisation Context
The File Manager holds the engagement documentation a firm needs in one place but which does not belong to a single record - delivery methodology, document templates, rate cards, insurance certificates, accreditations and reference material. Because the tree is scoped per Company and Organization, a firm with several practices or offices keeps each workspace's shared material separate. Keep anything belonging to one engagement on the record itself: files attached to a project, task, invoice or contract stay with that record and never appear in the tree. The same separation between shared and record-specific documents serves any business.
Important Notes
- Menu names and their position can differ between product editions and can be customised for your account, so your sidebar may not match these paths exactly. Use Search or your Quick Access items if you cannot find a screen.
- The folder tree is scoped per Company and Organization. If a folder is missing, check which workspace you are in before assuming it was deleted.
- The File Manager is separate from per-entity attachments. A file attached to a record does not appear in the tree, and a file in the tree is not attached to any record.
- Files count towards the plan's storage limit, wherever they are stored.
- Confirm the account's storage destination is configured before a large upload effort.
- Google Drive and OneDrive attachments come from the Drive Integration add-on module and are not part of the File Manager tree.
Common Scenarios
Example: shared templates and policies. An HR team keeps its policy documents and letter templates in a folder structure in the File Manager, so every employee can find the current version without asking.
Example: two branches, two trees. A contractor runs a north and a south branch as two Organizations. Each branch has its own folder tree with the same top-level names, so staff moving between branches recognise the structure.
Example: keeping survey photographs with the work. A surveyor attaches site photographs to the survey record rather than the File Manager, so the images stay with the survey through assessment, estimate and installation.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Possible Cause | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| A folder you created is not visible | You are in a different Organization | Switch to the Organization where the folder was created. |
| An upload fails | The plan's storage limit has been reached, or storage is not configured correctly | Check the storage limit and the storage settings, then try again. |
| A file attached to a record is not in the File Manager | Record attachments are separate from the folder tree | Open the record to reach the file. This is expected behaviour. |
| A user cannot open the File Manager | Their role's permission does not allow it | Ask your Administrator to review the permission scope. |
| A downloaded file will not open | The file was incompletely uploaded | Upload the file again and download it to confirm. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the File Manager the same as record attachments?
No. The File Manager is a nested folder tree scoped per Company and Organization. Record attachments belong to a specific record.
Does each Organization have its own folders?
Yes. The tree is scoped per Company and Organization.
Where are the files actually stored?
In the account's storage destination, which is either local storage or Amazon S3.
Can I control who sees a folder?
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