---
title: Folder Icons
description: Explains BabelBird folder icon customization, including entry points, preset icons, custom uploads, application scope, permissions and usage scenarios.
slug: folder-icons
lang: en
category: Product Features
category_order: 2
order: 5
keywords:
  - folder icons
  - custom folder icon
  - folder classification
  - folder management
  - BabelBird
---

# Folder Icons

Folder icons let users turn default-looking folders into clearer visual entry points. Teams can assign different icons to customer folders, project folders, department folders, material categories, delivery folders or key workspaces so that users can recognize purpose, type and priority faster in large folder trees.

![Folder icon entry in folder details](../../assets/images/folder-icon-details-entry.png)
*Folder details include a Folder Icon section. Expanding it shows the current icon preview and the entry for changing the folder icon.*

## Entry Point

In the folder details panel, users can open the icon picker in two ways:

- Click the current folder icon preview.
- Click the Change Folder Icon action.

The entry belongs in folder details because a folder icon is part of folder metadata and is usually maintained together with folder description, permissions, tags, access statistics and related properties.

## Icon Types

![Folder icon picker dialog](../../assets/images/folder-icon-picker-dialog.png)
*The icon picker provides preset icons, custom uploaded icons and a preview area.*

BabelBird supports two types of folder icons:

| Icon type | Description | Recommended use |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Preset icons | A built-in icon set with a consistent visual style | Standard projects, departments, archives, deliveries, materials and common business categories |
| Custom uploaded icons | PNG, SVG or JPG images uploaded by users | Customer logos, brand assets, project identity, product-line marks and campaign folders |

After a custom icon is used, it appears in the icon selection area and can be reused for other folders. This helps an organization build a reusable visual language for folder classification.

## Selection And Preview

When an icon is selected, the preview area on the right shows the current icon. After a new custom image is uploaded, the preview immediately switches to the uploaded icon, allowing the user to confirm the result before saving.

![Selected icon preview](../../assets/images/folder-icon-selected-preview.png)
*The preview area updates with the currently selected icon before the user saves the change.*

Hover behavior differs by icon type:

- Hovering over a custom icon can show a delete button.
- Deleting a custom icon restores the default icon for folders that were using it.
- Hovering over a preset icon does not show a delete button, preventing accidental removal of system icons.

![Delete button on custom icon hover](../../assets/images/folder-icon-custom-hover-delete.png)
*Custom icons can show a delete button on hover; preset icons cannot be deleted.*

## Application Scope

The icon can be applied at different scopes:

| Scope | Description | Recommendation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Current folder | Change only the current folder icon | Key customers, important projects and temporary topics |
| Apply to subfolders | Apply the icon to all existing subfolders and newly created subfolders under the current folder | Customer spaces, product lines, project groups and material partitions |
| Apply to same-type folders | Apply the icon to folders of the same type, such as project folders, department folders or ordinary folders | Visible only to super administrators; suitable for enterprise-wide visual rules |

## Permissions

A user can change a folder icon when they have either of the following permissions:

- Create folder permission.
- Rename folder permission.

Apply to same-type folders has wider impact and is visible only to super administrators. A normal user may be allowed to change one folder’s icon but cannot apply that icon to all folders of the same type.

## Restore Default Icon

![Restore default folder icon](../../assets/images/folder-icon-restore-default.png)
*After a folder icon has been changed, the Folder Icon section shows the Restore Default Icon action.*

When a folder has a custom or preset icon, the Folder Icon section in folder details shows Restore Default Icon. Folders that have never changed their icon do not show this action.

Restoring the default icon is useful when:

- A temporary topic has ended.
- A project has been archived and no longer needs emphasis.
- Customer, department or business classification has changed.
- A custom icon no longer matches the organization’s visual standards.

## Usage Scenarios

### Customer And Project Recognition

Set icons for key customers, long-running accounts, delivery projects and external collaboration projects. This helps users locate the right folder quickly in the file list or folder tree, especially when a team serves many customers at the same time.

### Departments And Business Categories

Department spaces, policies, finance, HR, R&D and sales folders can use different icons. Administrators can standardize icons through preset choices while allowing controlled customization in department-level spaces.

### Material Libraries And Brand Assets

Material libraries, product galleries, campaign images, brand guidelines and video materials often contain many subfolders. Folder icons work well together with [Material Library](material-library.md), [Waterfall View](waterfall-view.md) and [Tag Management](tag-management.md) to improve browsing and retrieval.

### Standard Folder Templates

After project initialization or batch folder creation, different folder types can use different icons, such as Contracts, Drawings, Quotes, Deliverables and Meeting Notes. When Apply to subfolders is used, future folders can continue the same visual rule.

### Risk And Priority Signals

Folders for pending approval, archiving, read-only materials, sensitive content or delivery packages can use consistent icons as visual signals. Folder icons do not replace permissions or security policies, but they help users recognize important folders during daily work.

## Recommendations

1. Keep icon rules stable; avoid assigning arbitrary icons to every folder.
2. Use SVG or clear PNG files for customer logos, brand icons and project marks.
3. Enterprise-wide icon rules should be defined by administrators before bulk application.
4. Before deleting a custom icon, confirm whether folders still depend on it.
5. Folder icons improve recognition; permissions, security, watermarking and audit still need to be configured through their respective modules.

## Related Pages

- [File Management](files-management.md)
- [Create New Files And Folders](file-create.md)
- [Tag Management](tag-management.md)
- [Material Library](material-library.md)
- [Waterfall View](waterfall-view.md)