5 file management hacks every admin needs

A messy drive wastes time, causes mistakes, and creates stress. The good news? With a few smart habits, you can keep your files easy to find, tidy, and stress-free - no matter if you’re using OneDrive, Google Drive, Sharepoint or another other system. Here are five file management hacks every admin should know.

1. Start every file name with the date

Dates are my best friend for keeping files in order.

Use this format: YYYY_MM_DD – Project/Client – File Name

Example:2025_09_21 – Finance – Invoice Template

This ensures files sort chronologically and avoids the “is this the latest version?” guessing game.

2. Keep Folder Structures Simple

Think “digital filing cabinet.” Use broad top-level folders (Clients, HR, Finance, Marketing) with consistent subfolders underneath.

For example:

📂 Finance 

└── Invoices 

└── Expenses 

└── Payroll

Keep it simple. If it takes more than three clicks to find a file, it’s too deep.

3. Use colours, favourite, stars, or pins

Make priority files stand out. In Google Drive and Sharepoint, you can colour-code your folders (e.g. green for finance, blue for HR). In OneDrive or Teams, pin the most important folders so they stay at the top of your list.

If it's a folder you find yourself in regularly, add it to your favourites so it is easily accessible (even in File Explorer on a Windows pc). Visual shortcuts = less searching, more doing.

4. Create a master templates folder

Save time and maintain consistency with a dedicated “Templates” folder.

Store master versions of contracts, reports, or forms here. This way, within teams, everyone knows where to find the official starting point, so you never end up with “Contract v3 FINAL FINAL.docx” chaos. It also helped to create consistency across your own documentation, which helps keep your looking professional.

5. Use master docs for collaboration

When several team members need to contribute, this is an easy solve to avoid endless email chains and duplicate files. Instead, create a master document in a key shared location (in the cloud, not on your own hard drive) that everyone can update in real time.

This way, there’s one source of truth, and you cut out back-and-forth confusion. It also saves wasted time - if you have team members who log on outside of the standard work hours to get things done, they can check the document and get going, rather than waiting for your response as to where something is at, or what needs to be done today. Handover made simple.

⭐ Bonus: Schedule digital housekeeping time

Set aside 15 minutes each week to archive old files, clear duplicates, and tidy folders. Just like physical filing, little and often keeps things under control.

Good file management is one of those invisible admin superpowers that makes everything else run more smoothly. Start with date-based naming, keep folder structures simple, and lean on collaboration tools to save time and avoid mistakes.

With these hacks in place, your drive won’t just be organised - it’ll actually work for you.

Still not sure where to start? We’ve created a File naming & drive folder structure cheat sheet to help get you started. It’s available now in the Sort It Hub.