Prerequisites Prior to Creating Users

Before you add users, you need a folder ready for them and, in some cases, global site settings configured before they log in. The recommended order is to configure your site, then create a folder for the user, and then create the user. For account lifecycle best practices, see user onboarding and offboarding.

Configuring Your Site

This step is optional. You can move on to the next step without configuring anything in your site.

When users log in, they interact directly with your site. Apply visual branding and configure limitations or restrictions on uploads. You can also customize the menu categories visible to users.

At a minimum, apply basic branding, including your logo and corporate color scheme, and define a folder structure that serves as a landing zone for your users.

Creating Folders For Your Users

Each user needs a "home folder" so that, once they log in, they have a place where they can upload and download files.

Files.com lets you create any folder structure you require, and you can designate any folder or subfolder as the "home folder" of a user.

Place users into a well-organized folder hierarchy to make ongoing management easier. There is no one-size-fits-all hierarchy, but a common practice is to have a top-level folder named something like users/ or home/.

Within that top-level folder, create subfolders for individual users, or subfolders for departments, teams, or groups, building a hierarchy that matches your needs.

For a small set of users that don't need further differentiation, a simple structure works:

users/alex
users/blair
users/charlie

You can also arrange users based on their department:

users/accounting/alex
users/development/drew
users/sales/sam

For a global organization, arrange users based on geographic regions:

users/APAC/alex
users/EU/blair
users/US/charlie

If your site is used by both internal employees and external partners, arrange users based on that distinction:

users/internal/accounting/alex
users/external/customers/blairs_boutique
users/external/suppliers/charlies_custom_widgets

The best hierarchy is the one that fits your business model.

If users are managed through an identity provider (IdP), Active Directory, or LDAP, or are being migrated from another system, align the folder hierarchy with the structure defined in that system.

If the users of your Files.com site are not related to the users of an existing system, or you want to define a new folder structure, plan one that fits your needs.

Automating the Creation of User Folders

You can also automate the creation of "home folders" for users.

Once you've created some home folders, or configured them to be created automatically, you're ready to create user accounts.