Goal
Make documents file themselves. In this workflow, you give every client an identical folder structure built from a template, then use the Save a Project File automation to move documents collected in projects into the right folder — internal or client-visible — automatically. The result: no more hunting for where a signed NDA or finished report ended up.
Prerequisites
Admin access for the folder template setup (Part 1 below).
A clear picture of your standard client folder structure — what folders every client should have, and which of them clients should see.
Projects in use for the documents you want to auto-file.
Step-by-step workflow
1. Set up template client directories (admin, one time)
Click Settings, then Advanced, then select Client Folders.
Set the Root Folder — where all client directories will live. Click Save.
Set the Template Folder — the "blueprint" folder structure CX copies for each new client. Click Save.
You may also set up shared directory templates here as well and retroactively apply them to all outstanding shared directories for clients you have already created.
Tip: Open your template folder first and confirm it contains exactly what every client should get. It's copied as-is.
See Template Client File Directories for the full setup, including how the locked Shared, Notices, and Attachments folders work.
2. Create client directories
Open a client record and go to its Files tab.
Click Create Client Directory. CX builds the client's folder under your Root Folder, adds the locked Shared structure, and copies your template.
🎬 GIF: Clicking Create Client Directory on a client's Files tab and the new directory opening.
3. Set up the Save a Project File automation
Open the project (or project template) that collects the document, and add a custom field for the file — for example, "Fully Executed NDA."
Add a task for the automation and click Attach Automation.
Search for and select "Save a Project File."
Under File to be Saved, select your custom field.
Under Save Location, click the chain icon and choose an existing folder:
Client Directory — internal team only.
Shared Directory — visible to your team and the client.
Click Attach Automation to save.
Important: The automation saves into existing folders — it does not create new ones. Typed paths are case sensitive, so use the chain icon to pick the folder.
See Save to Project File Automation for options and troubleshooting.
4. Bake it into your project templates
Go to Library > Projects and open the template.
Add the file field under Project Data Fields, add the automation task, and configure it the same way.
Every project launched from the template now files its documents automatically. See Common Automation Recipes for this and related patterns.
Expected outcome
Every client has the same folder structure, so anyone on your team can find anything, for any client.
Documents collected in projects land in the right folder the moment the automation runs — internal files stay internal, deliverables appear in the client's shared folder.
New projects launched from templates come with filing already built in.
Related features
Template Client File Directories
Save to Project File Automation
Files Overview
Navigating and Organizing Files
Common Automation Recipes
Tips
Tip: Set up folders before automations. The most common failure is a save location that doesn't exist yet.
Tip: Double-check the save location before saving the automation. Client Directory is internal-only; Shared Directory is visible to your client.
Tip: Template changes don't apply backwards — updating your folder template only affects client directories created after the change.