Document folders

Document folder structures define the canonical folder layout Assure Pro sets up for every new client. When you onboard a client, Assure Pro copies the structure you’ve chosen into that client’s Documents tab — so every Patel, Chen, and Lee has the same set of folders ready before the first upload.

Open Settings → Documents to see your firm’s structures. Each row is one named layout. Click any row to edit it.

Build a folder structure

A folder structure is a named, ordered set of folders. Each folder has:

A structure named “Standard 1040 layout” might look like:

01 - Source Documents
   W-2s
   1099s
   K-1s
   Other
02 - Workpapers
03 - Final Return
04 - Communications

When you onboard a client with this structure, their Documents tab starts with the four top-level folders plus the four nested under Source Documents.

Create a new structure

Click + New folder structure in the top right of the page. A dialog opens.

[Screenshot: Folder structure editor with drag-and-drop tree]

Fill in:

• Name — “2026 Standard,” “Bookkeeping layout,” etc.
• Description — optional
• Folders — use the inline tree editor

Click + Add folder to add a new top-level folder. Drag a folder onto another folder to nest it underneath. You can nest up to 5 levels deep.

Click Save. Your new structure appears in the list.

Start from a starter template

Open Templates → Library and pick the Folders category. You’ll see starter folder structures Assure Pro has built. Preview one, then click + Add to my library to copy it into your firm’s list. Edit it from there to suit your firm.

Edit an existing structure

Click any row in the list. The same dialog as create opens, with the current folders shown. Rename, reorder, or add new folders. Click Save.

What about clients already onboarded?

Editing a structure does not retroactively update clients who were onboarded with the older version. Each client owns their own folder tree, captured at the time you onboarded them.

To apply changes to an existing client:

1. Open the client’s Documents tab.
2. Click Apply folder template and pick your updated structure.
3. Assure Pro merges the layouts — new folders get added, existing folders by the same name are skipped, no folders get deleted.

The merge protects existing files. The trade-off: renaming a folder in the structure won’t rename existing clients’ folders.

Set a default structure

One structure per firm can be marked default — Assure Pro applies it automatically when you onboard a new client, unless you’ve picked a different one in Onboarding defaults.

The default has a green badge next to its name. Click Make default on any row to swap.

Delete a structure

Click the trash icon on a row. Confirm the prompt:

“2026 Standard” will be deleted. Clients onboarded with this structure keep their folders — only the template is removed.

Confirming removes the structure from the list. If it was the default, the default flag is left empty, and onboarding falls back to “no structure” until you set a new default.

Limits

Per-client folders have their own limit (100 folders per client), so a very large structure can crowd out room for client-specific folders.

What folders don’t do (yet)

• Per-folder permissions. Folders inherit each document’s visibility (shared with the client, or firm-only). See Documents — Sharing.
• Folder-level deadlines or tasks. Folders are for organization only. Tasks live in Tasks.
• Folder colors. All folders render the same. Colors are on the roadmap.
• Smart folders like “all W-2s across clients.” Folders are per-client. Cross-client views live in the firm-wide Internal Documents area.

Use cases

Multi-service firms (1040 + bookkeeping + payroll) — Build one structure per service line. Pick the right one at onboarding. Clients in multiple services get the layouts merged, with same-name folders deduplicated.

Single-service firms (1040 only) — One default structure handles everything. Update it yearly — add a “2026 Tax Year” folder before tax season.

Audit firms with strict filing conventions — Build a deep tree (Workpapers → Section A, B, C → A1.1, A1.2, A1.3 …) and resist mid-season edits.

Tips

• Number your top-level folders (“01 - Source Documents,” “02 - Workpapers”) so they sort predictably.
• Use generic names. “Communications” ages better than “Email Chain 2026.”
• Don’t over-nest. A 4-level-deep folder is harder to find than a flat one. Default to two levels.
• Audit yearly. Move “2025 Tax Year” into an Archived folder and add “2026 Tax Year” in January.

Who can manage folder structures

Next

• Documents overview — what folders look like inside a client.
• Onboarding defaults — pick which structure runs on new clients.
• Template library — browse starter folder structures.