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Organize docs in folders

Folders put docs about one subject together. A folder can also limit who can read the docs in it. This page tells you how to create, move and restrict folders.

How folders work

A folder is the first part of the address of a doc. For example, the doc engineering/deploy-process is in the folder engineering. A folder can hold other folders, for example engineering/backend.

kmem stores no empty folders. A folder appears when somebody writes its first doc, and it goes away when its last doc goes away.

Each folder can also have settings: who can open its docs, and if agents can read them. kmem keeps these settings in a file named _folder.md in the folder. Because the settings are Markdown, the history of the folder and every export show them.

Create a folder

  1. In Docs, select New folder. To create a folder inside another folder, open the menu of that folder. Then select the item with its name, for example New folder in engineering.
  2. In Folder name, type the name, for example leadership.
  3. kmem changes spaces to hyphens.
  4. Add / for a nested folder, for example backend/auth.
  5. A name cannot have #, ?, * or \, and it cannot be . or .. alone.
  6. Select Continue to the first doc.

kmem opens the New doc page for the first doc of the folder. The page says that the doc creates the folder.

  1. Under Who can open the new folder leadership, choose who can open the docs in the folder. The choices are the same as for a doc. Control who can read a doc explains them.
  2. Choose if connected agents can read the docs in the folder.
  3. Type the title of the first doc.
  4. Select Create doc.

kmem saves the folder settings and creates the first doc. The doc follows the settings of the folder.

If you leave the page before you select Create doc, kmem creates neither the folder nor the doc.

If kmem saved the folder settings but could not create the doc, it says so. Fix the problem in the message, then select Create doc again.

Change the folder settings

You can change who can open a folder when you can open and edit the folder.

  1. In Docs, open the folder menu of the folder. You can also open the folder and select Share at the top of the page.
  2. Select Share. kmem opens the Share dialog for the folder.
  3. Choose who can open the docs in the folder.
  4. Select or clear Connected agents can read the docs in this folder.
  5. Select Save access.

kmem says Access to leadership saved. with the name of the folder.

A doc in the folder can narrow the settings of the folder. It cannot widen them. For example, a doc in a folder that only Engineering can open can limit itself to two people. It cannot open itself to the whole org.

The top level of the org has no Share item. Membership of the org decides who can read the top level.

Rename or move a folder

A folder is the shared start of the addresses of its docs. To rename or move a folder, kmem moves every doc in it.

  1. Open the folder menu, and select Rename or move folder.
  2. In New folder path, type the new path, for example platform/deploys.
  3. Select Move folder.

kmem moves each doc and updates the wikilinks that it finds.

A large folder can move in parts. If kmem says that some docs are still in the old folder, select Move folder again to move the rest.

If a doc could not move, kmem names the doc and says why. The doc stays in the old folder.

Delete a folder

Only an owner of the org can delete a folder.

  1. Open the folder menu, and select Delete folder.
  2. Read the count. kmem says how many docs it deletes.
  3. In Reason, type why you delete the folder. kmem stores the reason in the audit log.
  4. Select Delete folder. Select Keep the folder to cancel.

kmem deletes the docs and keeps every version of each doc. It says how many docs it deleted, for example Deleted 4 docs from leadership.

To restore the folder, select Undo the deletion in the message. kmem restores every doc in the batch, at the same addresses, with the same history.

The settings of the folder stay in its _folder.md file. A doc that somebody creates in the folder later gets the same access level.

Upload into a folder

You can upload Markdown files straight into a folder.

  1. Open the folder.
  2. Open the folder options menu at the top of the page.
  3. Select Upload to this folder.

kmem opens Upload docs with the folder already chosen. Upload and export docs explains the rest.

Restrict a folder

A restricted folder is a folder that only chosen people and groups can open. Use it for docs that only part of the team may read, for example leadership plans or payroll.

  1. Open the Share dialog of the folder.
  2. Select Only people you choose.
  3. Under People and groups, select the people and the groups that can open the folder.
  4. Select Save access.

These rules apply to a restricted folder:

  • Owners of the org can always open it. You do not need to add them.
  • An admin is a member for this rule. An admin who is not on the list cannot open the folder.
  • A nested folder uses the strictest list. To open leadership/hiring, a person must be on the list of leadership and on the list of leadership/hiring.
  • A person who is not on the list sees nothing of the folder. That person sees no doc, no doc count and no folder name. Search, Ask and Review leave the docs out for that person. A direct link answers "not found".
  • A group gives access to every member of the group. When you remove a person from the group, that person loses the access that the group gave.
  • Agents cannot change the list. Only a person can change who can open a folder.
  • A connection cannot read more than the person who made it. If the person cannot open the folder, the agent cannot read it.

If you save a change that removes access from members, kmem tells you first, for example After you save, 2 members lose access to leadership.

You cannot remove your own access. If a change would lock you out, kmem says This change removes your access. Add yourself or a group that you are in, or ask an owner to make the change.

Only an owner can choose Only owners.

Next steps