Folder Overview
👉 What exactly is a folder?
A folder is a self-contained workspace in Datamolino where you collect, process, and export documents. Each folder operates independently - it has its own automation settings, its own users, its own export connection, and its own document history. Nothing in one folder affects what happens in another.
👉 Does every folder need an accounting connection?
A folder can be connected to Xero, QuickBooks Online, or FreeAgent. When connected, documents you process in that folder are exported directly to the linked accounting organisation and contacts are synced automatically.
Folders without an accounting connection are called offline folders - they work the same way for document processing but export to a file (CSV, Excel, or PDF) instead.
How folders are typically used
How you organise folders depends on whether you manage documents for multiple clients or for a single business.
👉 How do accounting practices use folders?
Accountants and bookkeepers typically create one folder per client. Each folder connects to that client's accounting organisation in Xero, QuickBooks Online, or FreeAgent. This keeps every client's documents, automation rules, and export settings completely separate. You can connect each folder to a different accounting organisation, so a single Datamolino account can serve multiple clients across different platforms.
👉 How do businesses use folders?
Businesses typically use folders to separate documents by department, location, or project - for example, one folder per branch, or one folder per construction site. All folders on a standard business account connect to the same accounting organisation. This makes it easy to keep document collection organised while feeding everything into a single set of accounts.
What's inside a folder
Every folder contains sub-folders that organise documents by type. There are four sub-folders
Purchases - for bills, receipts, and purchase invoice
Sales - for outgoing sales invoices
Files - for storing documents that don't need to be processed or exported
Bank Statements - for uploading and extracting bank statement data
👉 Does every folder have its own email address?
Yes. Each folder gets a unique email address when it is created - it can be found underneath the folder name in your folder list. You can forward documents to this address and they will be imported directly into the folder.
By default, emailed documents are imported into the Purchases sub-folder. You can change the default import destination in the folder settings, or route documents to the Sales sub-folder by using the @sales tag in the email subject.
You can read more about email import here [LINK-TODO: email import]