š Overview
Document chaos is one of the most common and costly inefficiencies in construction businesses. Contract templates saved to someone's laptop. Compliance documents buried in an email chain. Insurance certificates no one can find when a subcontractor shows up on site. When important files live in scattered, informal locations, your team wastes time hunting for things that should take seconds to find.
Structur's Document element, available inside Company Operations, gives you a centralized digital filing cabinet for every important file in your business. You can upload files of virtually any type, organize them with folders, and give your team a single place to find what they need -- without digging through inboxes, personal devices, or shared drives that not everyone can access.
A well-organized document library is not just a convenience. It's a core part of running a professional, scalable construction business where the right version of every document is always one click away.
š Understanding Document Storage
ā” What It Does
The Document element in Company Operations allows you to:
Create a named document library -- give it a title and optional description so your team knows exactly what it contains
Upload files of any standard type -- Word documents, PDFs, spreadsheets, images, and videos all supported
Drag and drop files directly -- upload by dragging files into the upload area without using the file picker
Create folders to organize files -- group related documents so the library stays navigable as it grows
Centralize your source of truth -- replace scattered email attachments and personal drives with one place everyone can access
š When to Use It
Document storage delivers the most value when you need to store contract templates your team reaches for constantly, centralize compliance and HR documents, keep marketing and sales materials organized, replace a shared drive that not everyone has access to, or ensure your team always works from the current version of a document rather than an outdated copy saved locally.
š Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Open Company Operations
Click Company Operations in the left sidebar
Select the department where this document library belongs -- for example, Estimating, Project Management, Human Resources, or Marketing
Click the page where you want to add the document library, or click + New Page at the bottom of the left panel to create one
Note: Placing document libraries in the relevant department means your team finds them alongside the SOPs and procedures they relate to. A contract template library belongs in the same department as your estimating or operations SOPs, not in HR.
2. Add a New Document Element
In page editing mode, click New Element in the content area
Select New Document from the element options
A New Document modal appears with two fields: Document Title and Document Description
Enter a clear, descriptive title -- for example, "Contract Templates" or "Safety Certifications and Compliance Documents"
Optionally add a description to tell your team what the library contains
Click Create
Note: The title is what your team sees when they land on the page. A specific title like "Subcontract Agreement Templates" is far more useful than "Documents."
3. Upload Files
Inside the new Document element, click Upload File in the top right, or click the orange Click here to upload files link in the upload area
Select the file from your computer
Repeat for each file you want to add to this library
You can also drag and drop files directly into the upload area instead of using the file picker.
Note: Structur supports Word documents (.doc, .docx), PDFs, spreadsheets (.xls, .xlsx), images (.jpg, .png), and videos. Most standard business file formats work.
4. Create Folders to Organize Files
Click + Folder in the top right of the Document element
Name the folder clearly so its contents are obvious at a glance
Repeat to build out your full folder structure
For example, a Contract Templates library might have folders for: Client Contracts, Subcontract Agreements, Change Order Forms, and Lien Waiver Templates. A Marketing Materials library might have folders for: Brochures, Case Studies, Presentations, and Photography.
Note: Build your folder structure before uploading files. Reorganizing a flat list of uploads after the fact takes longer than getting the structure right first.
5. Save and Review
Click Save in the top right of the page editor when you're done
Click Discard Changes if you want to cancel any unsaved edits
Review the page to confirm the document library title, description, folders, and files all look correct before sharing it with your team
ā Best Practices
Build your folder structure before uploading -- a well-organized library from the start is far easier to maintain than trying to sort a flat list of files after the fact.
Use consistent, descriptive file names -- files named "Final v2 USE THIS.docx" defeat the purpose of a library. Agree on a naming format and apply it: "Client Contract Template - May 2026" is always better than "Contract - FINAL."
Place each library in the right department -- a contract template library stored in HR won't get used by your project managers. Put each library where the team who uses those documents will naturally look.
Remove outdated versions when you update a document -- a library with five versions of the same contract creates the exact problem you built it to solve. Archive or delete old versions when you upload a new one.
Start with your highest-frequency documents -- if you're building from scratch, begin with the files your team reaches for most often. Getting the critical items organized creates immediate value.
Treat the library as the official source of truth -- once it's set up, your team should know that the version in Structur is the current, correct version. That only works if the library stays actively maintained.
ā Common Questions
Q: Where do Document elements live in Structur?
A: Document elements are created and stored inside Company Operations, on pages within the department structure you've set up. They live alongside other elements on the same page -- Rich Text, Checklists, Scorecards, and Quizzes can all appear on the same page as a Document element.
Q: What file types can I upload?
A: Structur supports Word documents, PDFs, spreadsheets, images, and videos. Most standard business file formats are supported.
Q: Can I organize documents into folders?
A: Yes. Click + Folder inside any Document element to create a folder. You can build out as many folders as you need to keep the library organized as it grows.
Q: Can I drag and drop files instead of using the file picker?
A: Yes. Drag files directly into the upload area and they'll upload without needing to use the Upload File button.
Q: Can I add a description to a document library?
A: Yes. When you create a Document element, the New Document modal includes an optional Document Description field. You can use this to tell your team what the library contains and when to use it.
Q: What happens if I need to update a document?
A: Upload the new version and remove or archive the old one. There's no automatic version control, so maintaining a clean library requires manually removing outdated files when you add updated ones.
Q: Can I duplicate or delete a Document element?
A: Yes. Click the three-dot menu in the top right of the Document element to access Duplicate and Delete options.
ā ļø Common Mistakes to Avoid
ā Don't | ā Do |
Upload everything into a flat, unorganized list | Create your folder structure first, then upload files into the right locations |
Use vague or inconsistent file names like "Final v2 USE THIS" | Use a consistent naming format: descriptive, clear, and including a date or version reference |
Leave outdated versions in the library alongside new ones | Remove or archive old versions whenever you upload an updated document |
Place a document library in the wrong department | Put each library in the department where the team who uses those files will naturally look |
Build the library once and never update it | Treat the document library as a living resource that requires ongoing maintenance to stay useful |
Only upload the files you have on hand at the time | Be thorough -- the goal is a complete, centralized library, not a partial one that still sends people hunting elsewhere |