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How do I Use the File Inbox and Organize Uploaded Files?

Updated today

The File Inbox collects all files uploaded by clients or team members that haven't been sorted into a folder yet — it does not store files that have already been organized.

Required: Available to all Canopy users with access to Files.

Why it matters: When clients upload documents during tax season, they land in the inbox unorganized. The File Inbox gives you one place to see everything that needs sorting across all clients, so you can drag files into the right folders without losing your place or hunting through individual records.



Table of Contents



View the File Inbox in Global Files

The Global Files inbox shows all clients with unorganized uploads in one list, so you can triage across your entire client base without opening individual records.

  1. Go to Files > Client Files in the left navigation.

    • The inbox icon displays a red bubble indicating the total number of files that need organizing across all clients.

  2. Locate a client in the list.

    • The number next to each client name shows how many files they have waiting in their inbox.

  3. Click the client name to expand their inbox.

    • The client's folder structure and inbox files populate on screen.

    • Each file shows the upload date and who uploaded it.

  4. To open the client's full record in a new tab without losing your place in Global Files, click the client name in the top right of the page.



Organize Files Using Drag-and-Drop

When to use this: You have files in the inbox ready to sort into the client's folder structure.

  1. Open the client's File Inbox (from Global Files or a Client Record — either works).

  2. Click and drag a file from the inbox into the folder hierarchy on the left or into the folder contents on the right.

    • To move all files at once, click Select all before dragging.

    • To preview or rename a file before moving it, hover over the file and select the relevant action.

  3. Drop the file into the destination folder.

    • The file is removed from the inbox once placed in a folder.

📝 Note: Use these keyboard shortcuts to select multiple files before dragging: Command + Shift + Click to select all, Command + Click to select individual items, Shift + Click to select a range.



View the File Inbox in a Client Record

  1. Open a client record and select the Files tab.

  2. Click the inbox icon in the upper left of the Files panel to slide the inbox open.

    • Click it again to collapse the inbox when you're done.

  3. Review the files listed in the inbox.

    • Each file shows the upload date and who uploaded it.



Summary

The File Inbox collects unorganized uploads from clients and team members in one place, accessible from both Global Files and individual client records. Use drag-and-drop to move files into the correct folders — individually, in bulk, or with keyboard shortcuts for faster selection.



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