This guide explains how to use Folders to categorize your content. It helps beginners understand that not every item in your tree needs to be a clickable page on your website. You’ll learn how to use Folders as "containers" to group similar pages together, making it much easier to find what you need as your site grows from ten pages to hundreds.
Folders as Containers
In Umbraco 17+, a Folder is a specialized Node designed to act as a parent for "Child Pages". Folders typically do not have a visual frontend design; instead, they serve as organizational hubs in the Backoffice. For example, rather than having a cluttered root menu with 50 individual blog posts, you can house them in a "Blog Archive" folder. This foundation keeps your workspace tidy and improves the efficiency of data processing across your server cluster.
When to Use a Folder
You should consider creating a folder whenever you have a collection of items that share the same format. Common examples include:
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News/Blog: A container for all your articles.
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Staff/Team: A central spot for individual employee profiles.
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Testimonials: A folder to store customer feedback blocks.
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Data Folders: Often used for "Global" settings like categories or tags that aren't meant to be viewed as standalone pages.
Watch: Organizing Content with Folders in Umbraco 17+
This video shows how to create a folder, move existing pages into it, and how folders help keep your navigation tree clean.
Other Related Tutorials
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[Tutorial] Organizing the Content Tree (Official Docs)
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[Tutorial] Moving Pages into Folders
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[Tutorial] Sorting Items Within a Folder
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[Tutorial] uSkinned: Managing Categories and Tags
Action Steps to Create a Folder
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Select the Location: Right-click the page where you want the folder to live (usually your "Home" or "Global" node).
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Select 'Create': Click the three dots (...) and choose Create option.
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Choose 'Folder': Look for a document type named Folder, Container, or List Page.
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Name It: Give your folder a clear, plural name (e.g., "Services" or "Employees").
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Save and Publish: Even though it’s a container, you must publish it so its "children" can be correctly indexed and made visible on your site.
Pro-Tip: Many Umbraco 17+ setups use a "List View" for folders. This means when you click the folder, instead of seeing a long tree on the left, you see a searchable, sortable table in the center of your screen. It’s the fastest way to manage hundreds of items!