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Processing Order for New Files

When a folder has multiple Folder Settings configured at once, they don't all act on an uploaded file simultaneously. They run in a fixed sequence, and each stage only sees the result of the stages before it. Knowing this order matters because it determines what a file's final destination path and filename actually turn out to be — treating the settings as if they apply independently of each other leads to the wrong prediction.

Order of Operations

Folder Settings always apply in this order when a new file is uploaded or copied into the folder:

  1. Organize Files into Subfolders runs first. It resolves the file's destination subfolder before any other setting runs. This means that any rules on the same folder must be recursive to actually take effect on any file copied or uploaded into the folder.
  2. The settings that limit what filenames can be uploaded (Limit Uploaded Files to Regular Expression, Limit Uploaded Files to Certain File Extensions, and Limit Uploaded Files by File Name Length) run next to check the file meets the requirements. Any of these settings can block the upload outright if the original filename or extension doesn't pass.
  3. Rename Uploaded Files applies its Filename Pattern and text-replacement rules to produce a new filename.
  4. Limit Uploaded Files by File Name Length checks again after renaming, since Rename Uploaded Files can produce a filename that's longer than the original. If the setting's option to automatically shorten uploaded file names is enabled, the renamed filename is shortened to fit the limit at this stage.
  5. GPG Encryption/Decryption/Recryption and Auto Unzip run last, using the final folder path and filename produced by the earlier stages.