I understand there is no function in Sitely for making folders, but when I import a old website where I used folders, there they are and I can use them.
I need sub-folders because when I created my website many years ago in other programs I used them and had links to them already scattered around the web and also domains pointing to them. If I stop using them that would break those links.
Plus it sure is tidier to use folders in Sitely…having one long list of pages is awkward.
Is there a way for me to create folders outside Sitely and then import and use those folders in an existing website I am working on in Sitely?
Does Sitely now allow me to make folders? I may have missed that as an improvement since I started long ago.
I have one sub-folder in particular I make a lot of changes to so I work on that as a separate Sitely project/website and upload those files to the right folder via an ftp program.
In a round about way (and answering Q2), Sitely does make pseudo like folders called Sections. When created these Sections are collapsable in the left hand panel.
I’m not entirely sure I understood your request correctly, but if by “creating folders and subfolders” you mean organizing your pages into directories to obtain a URL like site.com/folder/sub-folder/index.html, then yes, this is possible in Sitely.
As explained in the link shared by @Mr_Fozzie, you can place a page inside a folder by selecting “In a folder” in the page settings.
Regarding subfolders, although this isn’t explicitly mentioned in the documentation, you can create them by separating folder names with a ”/”. For example, by specifying “folder/sub-folder”, you will achieve the desired structure.
Thanks!
Next time I open my web site I’ll have to look for how to collapse my sections. That should tidy things up quite a bit.
Question:
Sections mimic folders, but will they up load as a folder or will all the files upload as one long list of all the files?
Yes it does help. The forward slash detail is a handy thing to know.
Before I go an wreak havoc on (a copy) of my website I have a few questions:
Will the folders/sub-folders appear in the left column?
Will they upload as folders/sub-folders?
How do folders differ from sections?
• Will the folders/sub-folders appear in the left column?
No, folders created through the page URL in Sitely (e.g., folder/sub-folder/index.html) will not visually appear in the left column. Folders and sections are two different things.
• Will they be uploaded as folders/sub-folders on the server?
Yes, when publishing, Sitely will automatically create the folders and sub-folders defined in the page settings on your server.
• What is the difference between folders and sections?
→ Folders (set in the page settings) affect the URL structure and the file organization on the server.
→ Sections, on the other hand, are only used within Sitely to organize pages in your project and have no impact on the URL structure. Sections can be useful for:
Better organizing your pages: If your site has many pages, you can group them into sections for a clearer structure in Sitely. You can also hide certain sections in the interface to simplify navigation during the design process.
Sharing common elements across multiple pages: When selecting an element, group, or block, you’ll find the “Show on all pages of this section” option in the Arrange tab. This allows you to add common elements (e.g., a menu, a header, or any other content) to all pages within the same section.
I have used sections in the past to have sub-menus to organize my navigation menus.
All this makes me wonder if one can have sections within a folder (or visa versa).
I am presently consumed with producing an ebook so I am just planning ahead for overhauling my website. Unexpectedly to me, it turns out ebooks are formatted with a truncated set of html.
All this information will be a great help when I get back to my website.
I sure look forward to being able to collapse multiple pages in a section. Much less scrolling.
Thank you!
Maxim
I just took a quick look at this sitely website of mine which has folders. It’s been a while, but I believe I imported the whole mess into Sitely.
In one of these images you can see the list of folders in Sitely. When the pointer lingers at far right edge of a folder, a X in a circle and a right arrow appear. I dunno what the X does (I’m scared it might delete the folder) but clicking the right arrow shows the contents of the folder.
Here are images of an opened folder in Sitely and in the Finder
The point is I can see folders in Sitely’s lefthand list. It isn’t just sections or an endless list of individual page files.
As I say, I think I accomplished this by importing the whole website but it’s been way too long to recall clearly.
But I can’t see how to add a new folder to this list. I tried just now quitting Sitely and then creating a new empty folder and reopening Sitely, but the new folder does not appear in the list.
This is why this thread started with “I can have folders but I can’t make folders”.
I suppose making a new folder and then re-importing the entire website might allow Sitely to recognize the new folder but that seems a bit crazy.
And just now I looked and I see I can Duplicate a folder…and then re-name it…
Sitely Publish(es) to your web server as opposed to syncing with your web server.
As you pointed out you would have to Import your website again after creating the folder on the hosting web server.
It’s a bit funny. Long ago, when I first started using Sparkle (now Sitely), I asked Duncan if we could have folders, but I was never able to get him to see any use for them.
I’m not sure if I fully understood your request, but if you want to create new “folders” in the list of pages on the left side of Sitely, note that in Sitely, these “folders” are called sections. It’s important to differentiate between sections and folders, as they serve different purposes, as I mentioned in my previous response.
• Folders are defined in the page settings and are used to structure URLs and the exported files on the server.
• Sections, on the other hand, are only for organizing pages within the Sitely interface. They have no impact on your site’s URLs or on the file structure exported to Finder.
You can create a section by clicking the “+” button at the bottom of the page list, then selecting “Add section.”
Regarding your question about having sections within a folder (or vice versa), the answer is no. As mentioned earlier, folders and sections are independent and function differently. However, to better organize your project, you can group all pages from a particular folder within a section of the same name, which already seems to be the case for your “tools” folder.
Moreover, I confirm that clicking on the cross next to a section’s name will delete both the section and all the pages inside it.
Thanks for your thoughtful reply.
I had the misfortune of choosing and using a series of website production apps such as Adobe GoLive and Freeway which died. Long live Sitely!
Historically I used folders to organize files and used some folders as destinations for various domain names. Trying to make my old organizational structure work with Sitely has been awkward, but I don’t want to strand the links I have out on the web (in forums in particular).
I used sections in Sitely, if I am recalling correctly, to mainly deal with menus and submenus.
