Create/Upload Folders and Files in Basil

Folders and Files can be created and uploaded to four main locations on Basil for sharing and collaboration. These locations include: 

• Inside the ‘External Folder’ of each Workspace
• Inside the ‘Internal Folder’ of each Workspace 
• Inside any folder created at the ‘My Firm’ Workspace level
• Inside any folder that is nested in any of the previously mentioned folders

Creating a New Folder

Once inside any of the locations above you can start creating new folders to organize your client files. To do so, click on the ‘Actions’ button in the top right. A drop-down menu will appear where you can select ‘New Folder’. A pop-up window will appear allowing you to type a name for this new folder. Enter the name you desire and then click ‘Add’. The pop-up will disappear and you will see your newly created folder on the screen.

Creating a New File

Basil gives you the ability to create and edit documents directly in the cloud from your web browser in the following formats: Word (.docx), Excel (.xlsx), and PowerPoint (.pptx).

To create a new file in Basil with the document editor:

1. Navigate inside the folder where you would like the document to reside.
2. Click the ‘Actions’ button at the top right and select ‘New File’ from the drop-down menu.
3. A pop-up window will appear asking you for key information about this new file.
   1. Enter the name of this new file.
   2. Choose the type of file: Document (Word Document), PowerPoint (Presentation), Excel (Spreadsheet)
   3. Choose a file category if you wish to categorize the file. Document categories help identify a document without having to open it.
4. When finished, click the ‘Add’ button in the lower right corner and you will be taken to the document editor. Make sure to ‘SAVE’ the document at the top right before closing with the ‘Close File’ button at the top left.

Uploading Files

You most likely already have files located on your local hard drive that you’ve created while working with your clients and internal staff. You can upload these documents from your PC to Basil provided they are a supported file type: Word (.doc, .docx), Excel (.xls, .xlsx, .csv), Powerpoint (.ppt, .pptx), PDF (.pdf), and some image types (TIFF, JPG, JPEG, PNG).

To upload a file:

1. Navigate inside the folder where you would like the file to reside.
2. Click the ‘Actions’ button at the top right and select ‘Upload Folder(s) / File(s)’ from the drop-down menu.
3. A pop-up window will appear, make sure you are selected to the ‘Upload Files’ tab at the top.
4. You can drag and drop your files to the area outlined by the dotted lines or you can click on the text inside the box and it will open a Windows File Explorer window for you to navigate and select the files you wish to upload. If all of the files you’re uploading are of the same type (like W-2s), you can use the ‘File Category’ drop-down above the dotted box to categorize the files before the upload.
5. Next, click ‘Upload’ in the lower right corner and your files will be copied from your local hard drive and into Basil.

Requesting a File Upload

You can use the “Email Upload Link” tool to request files from someone in any Client's External folder you choose and these people do not need to be registered with a Basil account. You may also use this tool for users who do have a Basil account to make the upload process simpler for the user uploading the file(s).

To request a file upload:

1. Navigate to the Client's External folder where you would like the individual to upload the file(s).
2. Click the ‘Actions’ button at the top right and select ‘Email Upload Link’ from the drop-down menu.
3. Select an existing user or go to the ‘New Contact’ tab to enter the individual’s name and email address (click ‘+ Add more’ to email additional people), optionally write a message, then click ‘Send Email’.
4. The individual the link was sent to will receive an email and will need to click the ‘Upload Files’ button. They will be brought to the upload files popup window where they can drag and drop files, or browse and select files from their PC.

Uploading Folders

You may have a folder on your computer that already contains all the subfolders and files that you and your client or team members have been working on. You can upload that entire folder at one time and it will be copied in Basil with the same structure.

To upload a folder:

1. Navigate to the location where you would like the folder and its contents to reside.
2. Click the ‘Actions’ button at the top right and select ‘Upload Folder(s) / File(s)’ from the drop-down menu.
3. A pop-up window will appear, click the ‘Import Folder’ tab at the top.
4. Click the text in the box to open a Windows File Explorer window and navigate to the folder you wish to upload.
5. Select that folder and then click ‘Upload’.
6. A pop-up window will appear at the top of the screen asking if you want to allow your files to be uploaded. Click the ‘Upload’ button to proceed.
7. Click ‘Import’ in the lower right corner.
8. Your files will be copied from your local hard drive, into Basil, and you will see a summary on the screen.
9. Click ‘Done’ and you’ll be back at your Basil location with your newly uploaded folder and its contents.