And you’ve got the option to still use all those third-party tools you like.
So, why are automated folders such a great idea, and what can they do for you?
The End of Filing
Folders are often a mess.
Dropbox
Imagine if those files could organize themselves.
Even those of us who keep everything squared away can benefit from automatic filing.
And with Dropbox, itll soon be easy.
Noodlesoft
You just have to set up your automation rules once, then Dropbox does all the work.
For instance, you could create a rule that automatically puts your files into folders based on the date.
Future files added to the main folder will be automatically moved into these subfolders.
Noodlesoft
It’s ideal for keeping receipts for your taxes, for example.
That’s nice and already quite powerful, but itgets a lot better.
Dropbox can automatically rename files and photos, too, perhaps based on the date they were created/taken.
It can also tag your files and even convert them to other formats.
Still, there are lots of even more powerful options for automating your Dropbox foldersor any other folders.
There are two main categories for automating folders.
One is a web-based service likeZapierorIFTTT(If This Then That).
The other is a tool that runs locally on your gear, like the excellentHazel for the Mac.
It’s powerful and easy to use.
Noodlesoft
The advantage of a web-based tool is it can connect to other web services.
IFTTT can do some wild stuff.
On the other hand, much of that data is already somewhere in the cloud anyway.
Some of these also work with Dropbox.
For automating folders, try Hazel.
This monitors folders for new files and acts on them.
One Hazel rule I use watches my desktop for images.
It resizes screenshots to 2,000 pixels wide, so I can use them for online articles like this one.
Another rule takes webp images and turns them into JPGs.
I also have a rule that copies songs into the app formerly known as iTunes.
This modularity makes it both extremely easy to get started but also limitless in its potential.
And, of course, it can act on any folder in your Dropbox.
