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Folder Templates

Define a standard folder structure that is automatically created for every new appraisal.

Beginner4 min readUpdated 2026-04-03

Every appraisal accumulates documents from the same handful of sources. Carrier-supplied estimates, photos, your own estimate, the signed award, the invoice. If each case starts with an empty document library and you sort files into folders by hand, the structure inevitably drifts. One case has a "Photos" folder, another has "Pics", a third has no folder at all and everything is loose at the root.

A few months in, finding a specific document on an old case becomes a guessing game. Worse, if you ever hand a file off to a VA or co-appraiser, they have to relearn your filing system on every appraisal.

Folder templates fix the drift at the source. Define the folder structure you want once, and every new appraisal you create starts with that exact structure pre-built. Useful for any appraiser who handles more than a few cases a year, and essential for firms where multiple people touch the same files.

Folder templates let you define a standard set of folders that are automatically created whenever you start a new appraisal. This keeps your document library organized and consistent across every case without any manual setup.

What Are Folder Templates?

A folder template is a pre-defined folder structure for your appraisal documents. For example, you might always want folders named "Carrier Documents", "Photos", "Estimates", and "Signed Documents". Define this structure once as a template and it is applied automatically to every new appraisal.

Creating a Folder Template

1

Go to Account > Folder Templates

Navigate to Folder Templates from the Account section in the sidebar.

2

Click "New Template"

Opens the template creation dialog.

3

Name the template

Give your template a descriptive name, for example "Standard Appraisal Folders".

4

Add folders

Click "Add Folder" to define each folder in your structure. You can create top-level folders and nest sub-folders inside them.

5

Save the template

Your template is saved and will be applied to new appraisals going forward.

How Folders Are Created Automatically

When you create a new appraisal, AwardLettr checks your active folder template and creates the defined folders in the appraisal's document library automatically. You will find these folders ready and waiting on the Documents tab.

Existing Appraisals

Folder templates only apply when a new appraisal is created. Changing your template does not retroactively add folders to existing appraisals.

Organizing Documents into Folders

From the Documents tab on any appraisal, you can drag uploaded files or generated documents into any of your folders. You can also select the target folder when uploading a file or generating a document.

Common Folder Structure

A useful starting structure: Carrier Documents, Insured Documents, Photos, Estimates, Generated Documents, Signed Documents.
Suggest an editLast updated 2026-04-03
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