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Files

Working with Files in your SideDrawer

Support avatar
Written by Support
Updated over a month ago

This article is for: all SideDrawer users

Once you have your Tiles, Records, and Folders set up, most of your activity in SideDrawer will involve Files - uploading files, viewing files, editing files, and sharing files.

Uploading Files to SideDrawer

There are several different ways to get files into your SideDrawer

Uploading files is covered in more detail here:
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Uploading Files

  • Drop Files/Click to Upload on the Records screen
    Use this option to select one or more files from your folders and upload them to a Tile and Record in your SideDrawer
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  • Drop Files/Click to Upload within an existing Record
    Use this option to add files directly to a Record
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  • Upload files to an Info Request or Simple File Request
    Use to upload specific files requested by your professional through an Info Request or Simple File Request
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  • Upload files from a mobile device using the Photos menu or camera
    If you are signed into SideDrawer on your phone or tablet (through our Mobile App or in your device's web browser), clicking on the Drag & Drop files button will also give you the option to choose files from your photo library, or take a photo or video with your device's camera, and upload it - this is useful for taking pictures of ID or documents to upload them
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Viewing Files

When you click into a Record, you will see a list of all the files that Record contains, as well as a counter showing the total number of files for that Record

Opening Files

Select a file to open it directly in SideDrawer.

SideDrawer can open most file types - you can read text documents and PDFs, look at images and photos, or play videos in the secure SideDrawer environment.
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If a file type is not supported - a web file or an executable program file, for example - then clicking on it will download it to your drive, rather than opening in SideDrawer.

You can read or view supported files in SideDrawer, and can add comments, labels, and e-signatures as well, as described below in Working with Files in SideDrawer

Note that you can open Excel spreadsheets in SideDrawer, to read the data entered in the fields, but SideDrawer can't apply the formulas in the spreadsheet.
If you need to work with formulas, the best option is to download the spreadsheet, and then open it in Excel.

Sorting Files

Files will automatically be displayed in order of Last modified first, showing the files that were most recently uploaded or edited.
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To change the sort order, click on the middle icon on the right to bring up the Sort Menu


Files can be sorted by:

  • Most recently modified (this is the default setting)

  • Who uploaded the file (alphabetically, A-Z or Z-A)

  • Name of the file (alphabetically A-Z or Z-A)

Managing and Editing Files

From the Record page, where the Files are displayed, you can use different controls to manipulate one or more files

  • Click on the Download icon to the right of the file name to quickly download the file
    This will open your file manager (Windows Explorer, Finder, etc.) so you can choose where to save the downloaded file
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  • Click on the File icon to the left of the file name to select the file - any files you've selected will show a checkmark icon at the left, replacing the file icon
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    The actions bar above the files will show the number of files you've currently selected
    Click Select all on the left to select all files in the Record
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  • From the actions bar, you can quickly Download, Copy, Move, or Delete all your selected files
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    • Downloading files will bring up your file manager(Windows Explorer, Finder, etc.) so you can select where to save the files
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    • Copying files keeps a version of the files in this Record, while letting you save a copy of the files to another Record, Tile, or SideDrawer
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    • Moving files removes them from this Record, saving them to another Record, Tile, or SideDrawer that you have access to
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      For more information on Moving & Copying Files

    • Deleting files removes them from the Record entirely.

      You'll be asked to confirm - if you want to go ahead and delete, click Delete, or click Cancel to go back to the Record.
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  • Edit File Name
    To change the name of a file, click on the 3 dots at the right, then select Change File Name from the menu
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    • In the pop-up, type in the new name, then click Confirm to update the file
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Working with Files in SideDrawer

When you open a file in SideDrawer, you can make some changes directly in the document, then save these as a new version in SideDrawer.
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​Remember: in order to preserve the integrity and security of your data, you can't change the original version of the document.
Making changes will always create a new version of the file, separate from the original.

Fillable PDFs

If the file in SideDrawer is a fillable PDF, you can fill it out right in SideDrawer - no need to download or save it separately!

  1. Click on the file name to open the PDF
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  2. Click on the fillable fields and type or select your responses.
    If the form has a Clear Data option, you can click that to clear the whole form and start over.
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  3. Select Save a new version to save the filled-in version as its own file.
    You can do this for the completed version, or if you want to save the in-progress file to complete later.

    1. Your saved version will have the same name as the original file, followed by a (1)
      You can rename the file (for example, Tax Return - Completed, or Contract - Signed) by clicking on the 3 dots and selecting Change file name
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  4. Optional: Click Download File to save a copy of the file to your device.
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Adding E-Signatures

When you open a text file in SideDrawer (PDF, Word, Excel), you can add labels or signatures, or comments.

This is separate from the DocuSign integration - signatures applied to a file are more basic, and don't have have the advanced certification that DocuSign offers, but can still serve as an attestation.

  1. Click on the file to open it in SideDrawer
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  2. In the file screen, click on Add Labels or Signatures
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  3. Select Signatures in the second row, then New Signature at the left
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  4. Create your signature

    1. To Draw a signature using your mouse or finger (on a touchscreen), select Draw
      Draw your signature, then click Create
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    2. To Type a signature, select Type
      Your login name will autofill, or you can type a different name
      Click Create to save your signature
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    3. If you have a signature image file that you want to use, select Upload
      Drag & drop your image file in the centre square, or click to open your files and choose the image
      When you've selected the file, click Create to complete
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  5. Once you create your signature, it will appear in the left-hand menu of the file.
    Drag the signature onto the file, and place it where you want it to go.
    You can click on the signature and use the dots at the corners to adjust the size
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  6. Once your signature is placed, click Save new version to save the signed document - you may also want to change the name of the file to indicate that it's signed

Adding Labels

You can also add pre-made stamps to a document, including labels that indicate where a signature is needed

  1. Click on the file to open it in SideDrawer
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  2. In the file screen, click on Add Labels or Signatures
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  3. Select the stamp icon in the lower bar, and scroll through the left-hand menu to select your stamp, or choose Create New Stamp to create a custom stamp
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  4. Select the labels you want to apply, then drag them over to the document, and place them as needed.
    Click Save new version to save the labeled document

Adding Comments

You can add, edit, and reply to comments on a document - this can be useful for complicated forms, since you can ask your advisor questions, and they can provide clarifications right in the document.

  1. Click on the file to open it in SideDrawer
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  2. In the file screen, click on the comments icon at the top right
    This will also show you any existing comments on the file
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  3. To add a comment, select some text, and highlight it, then type your comment in the box, and Save
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  4. Click Save new Version to save the document with the comment(s)
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    Remember that SideDrawer saves each version of the file, to maintain a complete version history.
    You can delete versions that you don't need, but it's best to use comments selectively, to avoid creating a confusing amount of versions.
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Downloading Files

Downloading Single Files
To download a file, click on the download icon to the right of the file name, or click on the 3 dots at the far right, and select Download file from the menu
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Downloading Multiple Files

To download multiple files from the same Record, click on the file icon at the right to select the files you want to download, or click on Select all in the top bar, then select Download
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A pop-up will open, and you can select where to save the files

Downloading all files in the SideDrawer

To download all files in the entire SideDrawer, click on the 3 dots to the right of the SideDrawer name, and select Download from the drop-down menu
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You will be asked to confirm - click Download to proceed
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Note that there is no option to print files directly from SideDrawer.
You'll need to download the file first, then open it and print it from your device.

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