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Document Organization#

Organization System Overview#

Paperless-ngx uses a flexible organization system that goes beyond traditional folder structures. Documents are organized using multiple metadata dimensions that make finding information quick and intuitive.

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Correspondents#

What Are Correspondents?#

Correspondents represent the people, companies, or organizations that documents are from or to. They help you quickly find all documents related to a specific entity.

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Creating Correspondents#

  1. Navigate to Settings → Correspondents
  2. Click "Add Correspondent"
  3. Enter the correspondent name
  4. Add optional matching rules for automatic assignment
  5. Save the correspondent

Correspondent Examples#

  • Financial: "Chase Bank", "Capital One", "IRS"
  • Utilities: "Electric Company", "Water Department", "Internet Provider"
  • Healthcare: "Dr. Smith", "City Hospital", "Insurance Company"
  • Business: "ABC Supplier", "XYZ Client", "Legal Firm"
  • Personal: "John Doe", "Property Manager", "School District"

Folder-Like Organization#

Virtual Folders Through Filtering#

While Paperless-ngx doesn't use traditional folders, you can create folder-like organization through saved searches and filters.

Creating Virtual Folders#

  1. Filter documents by specific criteria:
  2. Correspondent: "Electric Company"
  3. Document Type: "Invoice"

  4. Date Range: Last 12 months

  5. Save the search with a descriptive name:

  6. "Electric Bills - Current Year"
  7. "Tax Documents 2024"
  8. "Contract Renewals Due"

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Hierarchical Organization#

Create nested organization using tag hierarchies: 

Finance
  ├── Invoices
  │   ├── Paid
  │   └── Pending
  ├── Receipts
  │   ├── Business
  │   └── Personal
  └── Tax Documents
      ├── 2024
      └── 2023

Organization Best Practices#

Naming Conventions#

Establish consistent naming patterns:

Document Titles#

YYYY-MM-DD - Document Type - Correspondent - Description
2024-03-15 - Invoice - Electric Company - March Bill
2024-03-20 - Contract - ABC Services - Annual Maintenance

Correspondent Names#

  • Use full, official names: "Chase Bank" not "Chase"
  • Be consistent: "Dr. John Smith" vs "John Smith, MD"
  • Include location if needed: "City Hospital - Downtown"

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Metadata Strategy#

  1. Plan before implementing: Design your system first
  2. Keep it simple: Don't over-complicate categories
  3. Be consistent: Train all users on the same standards
  4. Regular maintenance: Review and clean up periodically

Organizational Hierarchy#

Design your organization system: 

Level 1: Correspondent (Who)
Level 2: Document Type (What)
Level 3: Tags (How/When/Where)
Level 4: Custom Fields (Specific Details)

Bulk Organization#

Mass Document Organization#

When you have many unorganized documents:

  1. Start with correspondents: Group by who documents are from
  2. Add document types: Categorize by document purpose
  3. Apply basic tags: Add time periods, status, priority
  4. Use bulk edit: Select multiple documents for mass changes

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Bulk Edit Features#

  • Select multiple documents: Use checkboxes
  • Apply tags: Add/remove tags from selected documents
  • Change correspondents: Reassign multiple documents
  • Update document types: Mass categorization
  • Modify custom fields: Update metadata in bulk

Troubleshooting Organization Issues#

Common Problems#

Too Many Unorganized Documents#

  • Solution: Use bulk operations and filters
  • Prevention: Set up automation rules
  • Process: Organize in batches by date or type

Inconsistent Naming#

  • Solution: Standardize existing names using bulk edit
  • Prevention: Document and train on naming conventions
  • Tools: Use find/replace for common corrections

Missing Correspondents/Types#

  • Solution: Review and add missing categories
  • Prevention: Regular system maintenance
  • Process: Create as needed during document processing