The **Documents** feature provides a centralized location to upload, organize, share, and manage files within your community. Documents can be categorized, restricted to specific User Groups, or published publicly to your community website.
## Related Guides
- [Create a Document](Create%20a%20Document.md)
- [Update a Document](Update%20a%20Document.md)
- [Delete a Document](Delete%20a%20Document.md)
- [Create and Edit Document Categories](Create%20and%20Edit%20Document%20Categories.md)
## Feature Purpose
The Documents feature allows community administrators and authorized users to:
- Upload files from a computer or device and share them with the community.
- Organize documents using one or more categories instead of duplicating files across folders.
- Control visibility by assigning documents to specific User Groups.
- Publish documents publicly so they can be viewed without signing in.
- Search, filter, and sort documents for quick access.
## Key Concepts
### Documents Page
The main page that lists all documents available to the signed-in user. From here, users can browse, search, filter, sort, view, create, edit, and delete documents based on their permissions.
### Document Categories
Tags used to organize documents. A single document can belong to **multiple categories**, which removes the need to upload the same file into different folders. Custom categories can be created in the Administration section. See [Create and Edit Document Categories](Create%20and%20Edit%20Document%20Categories.md).
### User Groups
Groups (such as Owners, Tenants, Board Members, etc.) that determine who can view a document. By default, all User Groups are granted access when a document is uploaded. Access can be restricted by removing User Groups during upload or editing.
### Public Documents
Documents marked as public appear on the community's public-facing website and can be viewed by anyone without signing in.
### Archived (Deleted) Documents
Deleted documents are not permanently removed. They are archived and can be restored from `Administration > Log`.
## Prerequisites
- A user account with access to the Documents page.
- Permission to post documents (required for creating, editing, and deleting). Users without this permission can only view documents they have access to.
- Existing document categories, or permission to create new ones via `Administration > Global Settings > Documents` tab.
## Documents Page Actions
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| **View** | Click the document name or title to open it. |
| **Search** | Use the search box at the top right to find documents by query. |
| **Filter** | Select a document category to show only documents in that category. |
| **Sort** | Sort documents by various fields. |
| **Add a New Document** | Click the `Add a New Document` button (visible only to users with posting permissions). See [Create a Document](Create%20a%20Document.md). |
| **Edit** | Click the gear icon on a document and select `Edit`. See [Update a Document](Update%20a%20Document.md). |
| **Delete** | Click the gear icon on a document and select delete. See [Delete a Document](Delete%20a%20Document.md). |
## Common Use Cases
- **Sharing meeting minutes** with Owners only by restricting access to the Owners User Group.
- **Publishing community bylaws** publicly so prospective residents can read them without signing in.
- **Organizing financial reports** by tagging them with both a "Financials" and a "Year-End" category.
- **Distributing forms** to all User Groups for community-wide access.
## Additional Notes
- A document only needs to be uploaded once, even if it belongs in multiple categories.
- Removing all User Groups from a document will restrict access — be sure at least one User Group is assigned unless the document is intended to be public.
- Custom categories are managed centrally; see [Create and Edit Document Categories](Create%20and%20Edit%20Document%20Categories.md)