PaperPilot Docs

File Explorer

Navigate and organize your project files

The file explorer is your command center for managing project files. Located in the left sidebar, it provides a tree view of all files and folders.

Basic Navigation

Opening Files

  • Single click — Select file (highlights it)
  • Double click — Open file in editor
  • Enter key — Open selected file

Folder Expansion

  • Click arrow — Expand/collapse folder
  • Double click folder — Toggle expansion

Keyboard Navigation

KeyAction
/ Navigate through files
EnterOpen selected file
Expand folder
Collapse folder

Creating Files & Folders

Quick Actions Menu

Click the + button in the file explorer header:

  • New File — Create a new file
  • New Folder — Create a new directory
  • Upload Files — Import from your computer
  • Upload Folder — Import entire folder

New File

Click New File

Click +New File.

Enter Filename

Type the filename including extension (e.g., chapter1.tex).

Start Editing

The new file opens automatically in the editor.

You can create nested paths directly: chapters/introduction.tex creates both the folder and file.

New Folder

  1. Click +New Folder
  2. Enter the folder name
  3. Press Enter to create

Context Menu Actions

Right-click any file or folder for more options:

File Actions

ActionDescription
RenameChange file name
DeleteRemove file permanently

Folder Actions

ActionDescription
New FileCreate file inside folder
RenameChange folder name
DeleteRemove folder and contents
Deleting a folder removes all its contents. This cannot be undone.

Renaming Files

Select the File

Right-click and choose Rename.

Edit the Name

The current name becomes editable. Modify it as needed.

Confirm

Press Enter to save or Escape to cancel.

Renaming a file that's referenced in other files (like \input{} or \includegraphics{}) won't automatically update those references. Use the AI to help find and fix references.

File Icons

Visual indicators help identify file types:

IconType
📄LaTeX file (.tex)
📚Bibliography (.bib)
🎨Style file (.sty, .cls)
🖼️Image (.png, .jpg, .pdf)
📁Folder
📝Text/other

Best Practices

Organize by Type

project/
├── main.tex
├── chapters/      # Text content
├── figures/       # Images
├── tables/        # Table definitions
├── styles/        # Custom commands
└── bibliography/  # BibTeX files

Use Descriptive Names

Good: methodology-overview.tex Bad: chapter2.tex

Keep Root Clean

Only essential files in the root:

  • main.tex
  • references.bib
  • .gitignore (if using Git)

Everything else goes in organized folders.

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