River Folder
Browse the library

A practical library for files that have to outlive the project.

River Folder publishes field-tested guides, reusable templates, and a worked workspace for organizing, delivering, and archiving real-world project files.

Browse the library Open the worked example

Start here

Choose the problem you need to solve today.

01Name filesUse names that stay clear after the project grows.Open the guide → 02Clean a folderSeparate current work, references, and old drafts.Open the guide → 03Prepare a handoffPackage work so someone else can trust it.Open the guide →

The River Folder method

A repeatable file lifecycle for projects of any size.

Learn the method
  1. 01

    Intake

    Capture what arrives. Make it findable before making it perfect.

  2. 02

    Active

    Keep current work visible, named, and owned.

  3. 03

    Deliver

    Package final outputs with enough context to use them.

  4. 04

    Archive

    Preserve what matters and remove everything else.

Latest guides

View all guides
AllNamingOrganizingHandoffArchive
DOCA naming pattern that scales with a projectNaming6 min read DOCA field guide to cleaning a messy project folderOrganizing8 min read DOCBuilding a handoff package people can trustHandoff7 min read DOCArchiving for the long termArchive9 min read DOCWrite a project README that remains usefulDocumentation5 min read

Worked workspace

See one small project organized from intake through archive.

Open the example 
Worked_Example/
|-- 00_about_this_workspace.md
|-- 01_intake/
|   |-- inbox/
|   `-- notes/
|-- 02_active/
|   |-- planning/
|   |-- research/
|   `-- work/
|-- 03_deliver/
|   |-- outputs/
|   `-- handoff/
`-- 04_archive/
    |-- final/
    `-- reference/

This example follows one project from raw source material to final deliverables. Every folder has a role, every durable file has context, and the archive has an inventory.

  • Real filenames and folder rules
  • A complete handoff index
  • Clear review statuses
  • An archive that explains itself

Templates

Plain files you can use as-is or adapt.

MDProject READMEA concise map for project purpose, owners, structure, and current state.Download Markdown MDHandoff package indexA checklist and index for assembling final deliverables.Download Markdown CSVArchive inventoryA simple register for retained files, owners, dates, and reasons.Download CSV