Best Practices for Organizing Spaces in OpenCloud

Spaces are collaborative areas meant to be used by multiple users. Unlike personal storage, they must be structured in a way that supports clarity, collaboration, and scalability. This guide helps you set up and maintain well-organized, long-term usable Spaces.

General Principles

• Plan first – Don't treat Spaces like ad-hoc storage. Think ahead.
• Think in roles and teams – Structure based on how people work together.
• Keep it scalable – Choose a structure that works now and with more users later.
• Apply consistency – Naming, access, and structure should follow shared rules.

Folder Structure: Recommended Patterns

Example: Family

📁 Family Space
 ├── 📂 Documents
 │    ├── 🧾 Insurance
 │    └── 📑 Contracts
 ├── 📂 Photos
 │    ├── 📸 2024
 │    └── 📸 2023
 └── 📂 Shared Notes

School / Kindergarten

📁 2024
 ├── 📂 Class 3B
 │    ├── 📂 Teaching Materials
 │    ├── 📂 Parent Communication
 │    ├── 📂 Homework Submissions
 │    └── 📂 Events & Photos
 ├── 📂 Class 4C
 │    ├── 📂 Teaching Materials
 │    ├── 📂 Parent Communication
 │    ├── 📂 Homework Submissions
 │    └── 📂 Events & Photos

Company / Team

📁 Marketing Team
 ├── 📂 Campaigns
 │    ├── 📂 Q1-2025
 │    └── 📂 Q2-2025
 ├── 📂 Templates
 ├── 📂 Reports
 └── 📂 Meeting Notes

Naming Conventions

• Use clear, descriptive names – avoid "new folder" or cryptic titles
• Prefer lowercase-with-dashes or Title Case
• Add dates when relevant: report-2025-Q2.pdf or Budget 2024.xlsx
• Avoid special characters: & % $ § ! may break integrations

Ownership & Access Guidelines

• Assign Space Owners: Responsible for structure and permissions
• Use Groups where possible for access control (e.g. staff, students, parents)
• Keep sensitive content in separate folders with restricted access
• Define editing vs. viewing rights clearly

Archiving & Clean-Up

• Set up an archive folder for old or unused files
• Annually review the Space and remove outdated content
• Use versioning or export before deletion if unsure

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

❌ Don’t	✅ Instead
Dump all files in root folder	Use clear subfolders
Mix personal and shared content	Keep personal data in "Personal"
Give all users full access	Apply least-privilege principle
Use inconsistent naming	Define and follow conventions

Shareable Quick Start Template

You can use this as a template for new Spaces:

📁 [Team/Project Name]
 ├── 📂 Documents
 ├── 📂 Planning
 ├── 📂 Resources
 ├── 📂 Archive
 └── README.md (Space purpose, structure, rules)

Summary

Goal	How
Make Spaces easy to navigate	Use clear folder names & hierarchy
Avoid permission chaos	Define ownership and roles
Keep things clean	Review regularly and archive
Support collaboration	Use group access & standard naming