You can open, organize, and upload your documents without leaving the Clio Desktop App. Most actions on a file are in the menu that appears when you right-click it. This article covers each action, how to upload files and folders, and how to create folders.
Note: We recommend using list view when you work with files. Learn more in Navigate Documents in Clio Desktop App.
Open files
You can open and edit files in the Clio Desktop App in the same way as you would any other document on your computer. Double-click the file, or right-click the file and select Open. To open the file in Clio Manage instead, right-click the file and select Open in Clio Manage.
You can edit editable files and save them as usual. Your changes will be saved back to the Clio Desktop App, and these changes will be synced automatically to Clio so that the Clio Desktop App and Clio web app documents stay in sync.
Star a file
Star a file to find it quickly later.
- Right-click the file and select Star.
- To see your starred files, select Starred in the left menu.
Rename a file or folder
- Right-click the file or folder and select Rename.
- Enter the new name.
- Click Rename to save.
Note: In Contacts and Matters, the first-level folders cannot be renamed. The folder names are created by the system to keep them organized and in sync with the Clio web app.
Move a file
- Right-click the file and select Move.
- Navigate to the new folder, then select Move or Move here.
Tip: To save a copy to your computer, move the file into your Drafts/Private folder in the Clio Desktop App. The Clio Desktop App stores a local copy of this folder on your computer.
Copy and paste a file
- Right-click the file and select Copy.
- Navigate to a new location in the Clio Desktop App or on your computer.
- Right-click in the new location and select Paste.
Tip: Use this option to store copies of files on your computer. Changes made to these copies do not sync back to the Clio Desktop App.
Lock and unlock a file
Locking a file signals that you are working on it and helps prevent other people's changes from conflicting with yours. To lock or unlock a file, right-click the file and select Lock or Unlock.
Note: Anyone can lock a document, but only firm administrators or the person who locked the file can unlock it. Learn more in Manage Documents in Clio Manage.
Move a file to the trash
The same way that you trash and delete documents in Clio's web app applies to the Clio Desktop App. You first move a document to trash. From Trash, you can restore it for a limited time. This gives you a chance to recover a file that was deleted by mistake. You can also permanently delete files in Trash if you are certain you no longer need them. Learn more in Delete and Restore Documents in Clio Manage.
Important: Files in Trash are permanently deleted after 30 days. Once a file has been permanently deleted, it cannot be recovered.
- Right-click the file and select Trash.
Restore a file
- In the Clio Desktop App, select Trash in the left menu.
- Right-click the file and select Restore.
The file will be returned to its original location.
Create a folder
- Navigate to the location where you want the folder.
- Select New at the top of the left menu.
- Select Create folder.
- Enter a name for the folder, then click Create.
Upload files and folders
- Navigate to the location where you want to upload files or a folder.
- Select New at the top of the left menu, then select Upload files or Upload folder.
- Choose the files or folder on your computer and confirm.
To check on your upload, see Check upload progress below.
You can also drag and drop files or folders from your computer to the location in your Clio Desktop App.
Check upload progress
When you select Upload activity in the left menu, you can see the progress of files and folders currently uploading as well as previous files that were uploaded and any attempted uploads that failed.
You can clear the list by clicking the more icon (horizontal ellipses on the right), then selecting Clear completed or Clear failed.
Up next
- Learn how to navigate documents in Clio Desktop App in Navigate Documents in Clio Desktop App
- Learn about the Documents page in Clio Manage in Get Started with Documents
- Learn about managing documents in Clio Manage in Manage Documents in Clio Manage