Folders, sub-folders, and depth

Folders let you group assets within a section. A section with a handful of files may not need any folders at all, but as a library grows — especially for sections like Photography or Documents — folders are what keep the portal navigable for clients.

boveDAM supports up to three levels of depth: a section, a folder inside the section, and a sub-folder inside that folder. This three-level maximum is intentional: deeper nesting tends to make libraries harder to browse rather than easier.

How to create folders

To create a folder inside a section:

1. In the library editor, hover over the section where you want the folder
2. Click + Add folder
3. Type the folder name and press Enter

The folder appears inside the section. To create a sub-folder inside an existing folder, hover over that folder and click + Add folder in the same way. Sub-folders behave identically to folders — they can contain assets and be renamed, reordered, or hidden.

You cannot nest a sub-folder inside another sub-folder. The maximum depth is: Section → Folder → Sub-folder. Attempting to add a folder inside a sub-folder is not available in the editor.

Folder structure examples

A few common patterns for how teams structure their folders:

Photography section for a lifestyle brand:

• Photography
  • Campaign
  • Product
  • Lifestyle
  • Behind the Scenes

Photography section with seasonal depth:

• Photography
  • Campaign
    • Spring 2026
    • Fall 2026
  • Product
    • Studio
    • On-location

Documents section for a brand rollout:

• Documents
  • Brand Guidelines
  • Templates
  • Press Kit
  • Legal

Logos section for a client with sub-brands:

• Logos
  • Primary Brand
  • Sub-brand A
  • Sub-brand B

A portal named "Brand Kit Q3 2026" for a packaging client might combine several of these patterns across multiple sections, resulting in a library that a client can navigate intuitively without any prior orientation.

Moving assets between folders

To move an asset from one folder to another:

1. In the library editor, select the asset or assets you want to move (use Shift+click to select multiple)
2. Right-click and choose Move to, or drag the selection to the destination folder in the sidebar
3. The assets are moved immediately

Assets can be moved between folders within the same section or across different sections. Moving assets does not affect any signed URLs that have already been generated — previously shared links remain valid.

The visual hierarchy

In the client-facing portal, the folder structure appears as a nested navigation panel on the left side of the library view. Sections are the top-level items; clicking a section expands it to show folders and sub-folders. Clients can click any folder to view its contents in the main panel.

The hierarchy is always visible — clients do not need to guess that sub-folders exist. If a folder has sub-folders, a disclosure arrow indicates it is expandable. Empty folders are hidden from clients automatically; they are only visible in the editor view.

How clients see folders

Clients browsing the portal see the same folder tree that you see in the editor, minus any hidden sections or folders. See Renaming, hiding, reordering for how to control what clients see.

Clients can click into any visible folder, preview individual assets in a lightbox, and download assets one at a time or as a folder-level ZIP. The folder structure is preserved in the ZIP — files downloaded from Photography → Campaign → Spring 2026 arrive in a matching nested folder on the client's machine.