Nested Folder Settings

A nested Folder Setting occurs when the same Folder Setting is defined on a folder and again on one of its subfolders. In this situation, Files.com must determine how the two definitions interact within the overlapping folder scope.

Nested behavior applies only when the same Folder Setting is used at multiple levels of the folder hierarchy. If a different Folder Setting is defined on a subfolder, it does not participate in nesting and does not interact with the Folder Setting defined above it.

Understanding how nested Folder Settings interact is important when configuring folder hierarchies that require consistent, predictable behavior across multiple levels.

When Folder Settings Are Considered Nested

Folder Settings are considered nested only when all of the following are true:

• The same Folder Setting is defined more than once
• Each definition exists at a different level of the folder hierarchy
• The definitions apply to overlapping folder scopes

Folder Settings of different types never nest with one another. A Folder Setting defined on a subfolder always applies independently unless it is the same setting defined higher in the hierarchy.

How Nested Folder Settings Interact

Each Folder Setting defines how nested instances of that same setting interact. This interaction is fixed by the platform and is not configurable.

Nested Folder Settings interact in one of two ways:

Combine Effect

For some Folder Settings, multiple definitions are combined when they overlap. In this case, the Folder Setting defined on the folder and the Folder Setting defined on the subfolder are both in effect at the subfolder level.

This approach is used when cumulative configuration is meaningful and when applying multiple definitions together produces a clear and predictable result.

Combine Example

Assume the Send Email Folder Setting is configured on the /Projects folder to send an email notification to project_team@example.com when a file is uploaded.

Another Send Email Folder Setting is configured on the /Projects/2026 subfolder to send an email notification to finance@example.com.

Because Send Email is a Folder Setting whose nested effect is Combine, both configurations are active where their scopes overlap:

• A file uploaded to /Projects triggers one email sent to project_team@example.com.
• A file uploaded to /Projects/2026 triggers two emails:
  • One sent to project_team@example.com (from the setting on /Projects)
  • One sent to finance@example.com (from the setting on /Projects/2026)

In this case, the Folder Setting defined on the subfolder does not replace the setting defined higher in the folder hierarchy. Instead, both settings are applied together at the subfolder level.

Replace Effect

For other Folder Settings, a definition on a subfolder replaces the definition from the folder above it. When this occurs, only the Folder Setting defined at the subfolder level is in effect within that subfolder’s scope.

This approach is used when only one active configuration can apply at a given location and when a more specific definition should take precedence.

Replace Example

Assume the File Expiration Folder Setting is configured on the /Projects folder to automatically delete files after 30 days.

Another File Expiration Folder Setting is configured on the /Projects/2026 subfolder to automatically delete files after 7 days.

Because File Expiration is a Folder Setting whose nested effect is Replace, the lower-level configuration takes full effect where their scopes overlap:

• A file uploaded to /Projects expires after 30 days.
• A file uploaded to /Projects/2026 expires after 7 days.

In this case, the Folder Setting defined on the subfolder replaces the Folder Setting defined higher in the folder hierarchy. The higher-level expiration rule does not apply within the /Projects/2026 subfolder.

Determining How a Folder Setting Behaves

Each Folder Setting has a predefined interaction model that determines whether nested definitions are combined or replaced. This model is intrinsic to the setting and cannot be changed.

Nested Effects by Folder Setting

The following table lists how each Folder Setting behaves when the same Folder Setting is defined at multiple levels of a folder hierarchy. When Folder Settings overlap, their effects are either combined or replaced, as described above.

Understanding this interaction model is essential when designing folder structures that rely on layered configuration.

Relationship to Recursion and Inheritance

Nested Folder Settings describe how multiple definitions of the same setting interact when they overlap. Other Folder Setting concepts determine whether those definitions overlap in the first place.

Recursion determines whether a Folder Setting applies only to the folder where it is defined or also applies to subfolders. See Recursion: Where Settings Apply.

Non-recursive Folder Settings also establish inheritance boundaries, preventing a Folder Setting defined at a higher level from applying further down the folder hierarchy. See How Non-Recursive Settings Affect Inheritance.