When you only have a few forms, the Gravity Forms and GravityView lists are easy to manage. Once you have dozens or hundreds, things change. You scroll more. You guess more. You open the wrong form. You clone “just to be safe.” And over time, everything feels heavier than it should.

Folders4Gravity exists to fix that. It gives you folders for forms and folders for views, so you can line up your setup with the way you actually work.

This guide will walk you through how to use Folders4Gravity to its full potential. The goal is simple: a layout where you always know where to start, you find what you need fast, and you stop fighting the admin screens.

The Core Habit: Start From Context, Not From “All Forms”

The most important rule when using Folders4Gravity is this:

First choose the right folder, then choose the form or view.

That means:

• If you are updating a Scholarships program, you go to the Scholarships folder first.

• If you are handling HR or Finance requests, you go to those department folders first.

You do not start from “All Forms” and scroll or search every time. You let the folder give you the context before you touch anything else.

This simple habit:

• Cuts down on wrong clicks and wrong edits.

• Keeps related forms and views together in your mind.

• Makes it obvious which form or view “belongs” to which area of your work.

If you remember nothing else from this guide, remember this: “If I’m working on X, I start in the X folder.”

Step 1: Choose a Folder Structure That Matches How You Work

To get the most out of the plugin, don’t start by dragging things around at random.
Start by deciding how you want to group your work.

Pick one main way to organize things. For example:

• By program or fund
  • Good for nonprofits and schools with different initiatives.

• By department or function
  • Useful for internal teams (HR, Finance, Support, Admissions, etc.).

You can mix these a bit, but your top-level structure should be simple and stable. You do not want 40 different top-level folders that no one can remember.

A good test: if you had to explain your folders to a new staff member in two minutes, could you?

On the Forms screen and the Views screen, you’ll want a similar set of top-level folders. That way, someone who knows where a form lives can also guess where its related views will live.

Step 2: Name Folders, Forms, and Views So Anyone Can Understand Them

Folders4Gravity works best when names are boring and clear.

For folders, simple patterns work very well:

• Client – Acme

• Client – BrightStart Academy

• Program – Scholarships

• Dept – Finance

• Dept – HR

On the Forms side:

• Forms inside Client – Acme might be:
  • Acme – Contact Form

  • Acme – Onboarding

  • Acme – Feedback

On the Views side (for GravityView):

• Views that show Acme data should live under a folder with the same name:
  • Client – Acme

  • Inside that, names like:
    • Acme – Onboarding Dashboard

    • Acme – Support Requests

The goal is that someone can look at a folder and its contents and instantly answer:

• “Who is this for?”

• “What does this do?”

For test or temporary items:

• Put them in a clear Test / Sandbox folder.

• Add words like TEST or DRAFT in the name:
  • TEST – New Registration Layout

  • DRAFT – Updated Scholarship Form

Finally, write a short internal naming guide. It can be one page. The key is making sure everyone on your team names things the same way.

Step 3: Move Existing Forms and Views Into Folders, One Area at a Time

Now it’s time to start using the plugin in practice.

Resist the urge to “fix the whole site” in one long session. That’s how you burn out and give up.

Instead:

1. Pick one area to clean up first
   • One program

   • One department

2. In that area:
   • Move the most-used forms into the right folder first.

   • Ignore old junk for now. Focus on the forms people open often.

3. For forms that look like they could go in multiple places:
   • Pick one “home” folder and stick to it.

   • Add a note in the form description if it is also used by another team or program.

4. On the Views screen:
   • Put each GravityView view into the folder that matches its form’s context.

   • If the form is in Client – Acme, put its views in a Client – Acme folder for views.

After you finish one area, stop and use it for a few days. Make sure it feels natural. Then move on to the next area.

Step 4: Use Folders4Gravity in Your Daily Work

A good folder structure is useless if you don’t use it every day.

Here is how to build the right habits:

• On the Forms screen:
  • Open the relevant folder first.

  • Then open the form you need.

• On the Views screen:
  • Again, open the folder first.

  • Then open the view you need.

When you create a new form:

• Create it inside the correct folder from the start.

• Don’t leave it floating without a folder “just for now.” That “now” often becomes “forever.”

When you edit:

• Try to edit the existing main form rather than cloning it again.

• Only make a copy if you have a clear, long-term reason for a separate version.

For GravityView:

• When you need to work on views, go through the Views folders.

• If your folder names match the Forms side, it will be much easier to keep track of which view belongs to which form.

The more you force yourself and your team to start in the right folder, the less time you spend searching and second-guessing.

Step 5: Use Simple “Power Patterns” to Save Even More Time

Once the basics are in place, you can push the plugin a bit further.

Here are a few patterns that work well in real setups:

Template or “Starter” Forms

• Create an Internal – Templates folder.

• Put your best versions of common forms there:
  • “Standard event registration”

  • “Basic contact form”

  • “Standard application form”

If you really need a separate copy for a new client or program, copy from these templates. That way, your cloned forms start from a clean base.

Test and Experiment Space

• On both the Forms and Views screens, have a Test / Sandbox folder.

• Use this for:
  • Layout tests

  • New field ideas

  • Demo forms for training

Clean this folder regularly. If something in there becomes “real,” move it into the correct live folder.

Shared Internal Tools

• Create “Internal” folders for things like:
  • HR forms

  • Finance requests

  • IT or support requests

These are forms you and your team use often. Giving them a clear home folder makes them easy to find and less likely to be edited by mistake.

Step 6: Avoid Common Mistakes That Waste the Plugin’s Potential

Folders4Gravity is simple, but it’s still easy to fall into a few traps.

Watch out for:

• New forms without folders
  • If you keep saying “I’ll move it later,” your structure will fall apart.

  • Make assigning a folder part of the creation step.

• Too many folders
  • If every tiny idea gets its own folder, no one remembers what anything means.

  • Stick to long-term categories like clients, programs, or departments.

• Cloning instead of looking
  • If you don’t start in the right folder, you might not notice a form that already does what you need.

  • Always scan the folder list before you create yet another version.

• Views organized differently from forms
  • If the Views folder list doesn’t mirror the Forms folder list, people will get lost.

  • Keep the naming and structure in sync across both screens.

Avoiding these mistakes is what turns the plugin from “nice idea” into a tool you rely on every day.

Step 7: Keep Your Setup Clean With Simple Checkups

Even a good system will drift if you never review it. You don’t need a huge process, just a light routine.

Every month or quarter:

• Move old or unused forms into an Archive folder.

• Do the same for views tied to forms you no longer use.

• Fix messy names and obvious duplicates.

When you see a strange or one-off form, add a short note:

• Why it exists

• Who uses it

• Whether it is still active

When a new person joins your team, give them a short tour:

• “Here’s how we name folders.”

• “Here’s where to put new forms and views.”

• “Here’s your main folder for your work.”

These small steps keep the system from sliding back into a tangled list.

Conclusion: A Simple Plan to Use Folders4Gravity to the Full

Folders4Gravity is not a complex tool. Its power comes from using it in a clear, consistent way:

• Start from folders, not from the “All Forms” list.

• Give every form and every view a clear, obvious home.

• Keep your folder names simple and tied to real work.

• Build daily habits so everyone on the team works the same way.

If you follow those steps, you’ll stop fighting your forms and views.

Instead, you’ll have a layout that supports your work, saves time, and makes the Gravity Forms and GravityView admin screens feel under control again.

Need more details about Folders4Gravity? Contact BrightLeaf Digital today!

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