The solo bottleneck
Desktop piles become lost work and duplicate versions.
This guide is part of a free series: 50 useful automations for people running the business alone. Download the printable PDF anytime: Free PDF — Auto-sort files into client folders.
Stack that stays small
Strict folder taxonomy + rules for inbound files.
Tools named here: Google Drive, Hazel, Zapier. Prefer official docs and native features before adding another SaaS.
Ship the automation
Standard path: Clients/{name}/{year}/{contracts|invoices|delivery}.
Zap email attachments with subject tags into Drive.
On Mac, Hazel can file local downloads by name pattern.
Refuse to save ‘final_v7’ — use dates or git.
Keep it honest
Naming conventions are automation. Without them, rules fail.
Automations should reduce decisions and errors — not hide broken processes. If a Zap fails weekly, fix the process or delete the Zap.
Download
Grab the free PDF for this task: Download PDF. Or browse the full set from the homepage automation carousel.