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Importing Scanned Documents into M-Files Asks for Folder Structure Preservation

Last updated on 3 July 2025

Admin
M-Files OCR

Overview

When importing scanned documents into M-Files, you may encounter a popup message asking whether to preserve a detected folder structure. This typically occurs when your scanner is configured to create multiple files or folders during the scanning process.

Understanding why this happens can help you manage your scanned documents more efficiently and avoid confusion during import.

Why This Popup Appears

M-Files monitors the structure of files and folders being imported. If it detects a multi-level folder structure, it prompts you to confirm whether you want to:

  • Preserve the folder structure as part of the import, or
  • Flatten the structure and import only the files.

This behavior is triggered when:

  • Your scanner is set to save each page or document in a separate folder.
  • A recent change was made to the scanner’s configuration or file handling settings.
  • Files are manually organized into folders before being imported into M-Files.

Solution

1. Review Scanner Settings

Check your scanner’s configuration:

  • Is it set to save each scanned page in a separate folder?
  • Has the output format or destination path changed recently?

Adjust settings to save all scanned pages into a single folder if you don’t need the folder structure.

  

2. Decide on Folder Structure Handling

When the popup appears:

  • Choose “Yes” if the folder structure is meaningful (e.g., separating documents by client or project).
  • Choose “No” if the structure is unintentional or unnecessary.

 

3. Use M-Files Import Settings

If you frequently scan documents the same way, consider setting up an import rule or using M-Files Capture to automate how folder structures are handled.

Still need help?