Files

Files is Coline's native file management system for storing, organizing, and sharing documents across your workspace. It supports drag-and-drop uploads, folder organization, rich previews, collaborative sharing, comments, and integration with other Coline apps.

Uploading files

There are several ways to add files to your workspace:

• Drag and drop: Drag files or entire folders from your computer directly into the Files browser. A drop zone appears when files are detected.
• Upload button: Click the upload button in the toolbar to open the file picker. Select one or multiple files to upload.
• Folder upload: When dragging a folder, the entire folder structure is preserved. Nested subfolders and files maintain their hierarchy.
• Paste from clipboard: Paste images directly from your clipboard into Files.

During upload, a progress indicator shows the status of each file. Multiple uploads can run concurrently.

File browser

The file browser is the main interface for navigating and managing files.

Views:

• Grid view: Files appear as visual cards with thumbnails for images and icons for other file types.
• List view: A compact table showing file name, size, type, and last modified date.

Switch between views using the toggle in the toolbar.

Navigation:

• Breadcrumb bar: Shows your current location in the folder hierarchy. Click any segment to jump to that folder.
• Sidebar: Quick access to root folders, favorites, recent files, and shared files.
• Search: Filter files by name using the search bar. Results update as you type.

Folders

Create folders to organize files into logical groups:

• New folder: Click the new folder button or right-click and select "New folder". Enter a name and press Enter.
• Move files: Drag files onto folders to move them, or use the right-click menu to move files to a specific location.
• Nested folders: Create subfolders to any depth. The breadcrumb bar and sidebar tree reflect the full hierarchy.

File preview

Click any file to open a preview panel without downloading. Supported preview types include:

• Images: PNG, JPG, JPEG, WebP, SVG, GIF, AVIF with zoom and pan controls
• Videos: MP4, WebM, OGG with playback controls
• Audio: MP3, WAV, OGG, FLAC, AAC with waveform visualization and playback controls
• PDFs: Full document viewer with page navigation
• Archives: Browse ZIP file contents and view individual files within the archive
• Text files: Syntax-highlighted preview for code and plain text files

For unsupported file types, a download option is shown.

Sharing

Share files with workspace members or via public links:

Collaborator sharing:

• Open the share modal from the file's context menu or preview panel
• Add collaborators by email address
• Set permissions per collaborator: View (read-only) or Edit (full access including rename and delete)
• Update permissions or remove collaborators at any time

Public link sharing:

• Generate a shareable link for any file
• Toggle public access on or off
• Set default permission level for link recipients (view or edit)
• Optionally add password protection to the link
• Copy the link to your clipboard for distribution

Shared files appear in the "Shared with me" section of the sidebar for recipients.

Comments

Add comments to files for collaboration and feedback:

• Open the comments panel from the file preview or context menu
• Post comments with text and mentions using @
• Reply to existing comments to create threads
• Pin important comments to keep them visible
• Add emoji reactions to comments
• Comments are timestamped and show the author

Favorites

Star files to add them to your favorites for quick access:

• Click the star icon on any file or folder
• Favorites appear in a dedicated section in the sidebar
• Toggle the star off to remove from favorites

File actions

Right-click any file or use the actions menu in the preview panel:

• Download: Download the file to your computer
• Rename: Change the file name
• Move: Move to a different folder
• Duplicate: Create a copy in the same location
• Share: Open the share modal
• Delete: Move to trash

Select multiple files with Cmd/Ctrl + Click to apply actions in bulk.

Activity

View file activity from the sidebar or file details:

• Upload history: See when files were added and by whom
• Edit history: Track modifications to files
• Share history: See when files were shared and with whom
• Move and rename history: Track organizational changes

Activity logs help you understand what changed and when.

Convert to note

Text-based files can be converted to Coline Notes for richer editing:

Supported formats:

• Plain text: .txt, .log
• Markdown: .md, .markdown, .mdx
• Data files: .json, .yaml, .yml, .xml
• Config files: .conf, .ini, .cfg, .env
• Tabular: .csv, .tsv

The conversion creates a new note with the file content. The original file remains in Files.

Google Drive integration

Import and export files between Coline and Google Drive:

• Import from Drive: Browse your Google Drive and import files or folders into Coline Files
• Export to Drive: Send Coline files to your Google Drive for backup or sharing outside the workspace

Connect your Google account from the Files settings or integrations page.

Storage

Each workspace has storage limits based on your subscription:

• Personal workspaces: Storage limits vary by plan
• Team workspaces: Higher limits with options for unlimited storage on enterprise plans

The storage indicator in the sidebar shows current usage. If you approach the limit, a warning appears and uploads are blocked when the limit is reached.

File size limits:

• Default maximum file size is 50 MB per file
• Team workspace admins can adjust this limit in workspace settings

Trash

Deleted files move to trash rather than being permanently removed:

• Access trash from the sidebar
• Restore files from trash to their original location
• Permanently delete files from trash to free up storage
• Trash is automatically emptied after the retention period (default 30 days)

Keyboard shortcuts

Tips

• Use folders liberally to keep files organized. A clear folder structure makes it easier to find files as your workspace grows.
• Star frequently accessed files so they appear in favorites for quick access.
• Share files instead of duplicating to ensure everyone works from the same version.
• Convert text files to notes when you want to add formatting, links, or collaborate with rich editing.
• Check the activity log to see what changed if a file looks different than expected.
• Use the search bar with part of a filename to quickly locate files without navigating through folders.
• Preview before downloading to verify you have the right file, especially for images and documents.