---
title: "Choose Default View and Sort Order"
url: "https://helpdesk.kontainer.com/article/choose-default-view-and-sort-order/"
type: "article"
category: ["Admin settings", "Styling &amp; navigation"]
tags: ["Admin users only", "Core feature", "DAM"]
language: "en"
published: "2020-06-10T09:34:07+00:00"
updated: "2026-01-07T10:00:59+00:00"
summary: "You can personalize how files and folders are displayed in your Kontainer. Depending on your use case, you might be interested in a more technical or compact file view. Moreover, you can choose how th…"
---

# Choose Default View and Sort Order

You can personalize how files and folders are displayed in your Kontainer.

Depending on your use case, you might be interested in a more technical or compact file view.

Moreover, you can choose how the files in your folder should be sorted.

Define default settings for the display and sorting of your files and folders.

---

## Getting started

Go to **Settings > Configuration** and find the different **view** and **sorting** settings.

![Default view and sort image 1](https://helpdesk.kontainer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/default-view-and-sort-image-1.png?v=1763368897)

## Folder Sort Order, Left Menu

Choose whether you want your folder menu on the left to be sorted alphabetically or if you prefer custom sorting.

The alphabetical sorting is naturally strictly sorted after the name. With custom sorting, you can drag and drop each folder in place as you please.

![Default view and sort image 2](https://helpdesk.kontainer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/default-view-and-sort-image-2.png?v=1763368897)

## Folder & File Sort Order, Main View

In the view and sorting settings, you can choose a default for how the files should be sorted.

- Name
- Size Created Date
- Upload date
- Custom

This depends on your personal preference and use case.

It’s worth mentioning that you can freely drag and drop your assets into place when selecting Custom Sorting.

Moving entire folders around will also impact the order in which they are displayed in the folder menu on the left-hand side.

Despite setting a standard sorting, you can always use a different sorting method for individual folders.

You’ll find a drop-down menu in the top right corner displaying the different sorting methods, which you can apply individually for only the folder at hand.

![Default view and sort image 3](https://helpdesk.kontainer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/default-view-and-sort-image-3.png?v=1763368897)

## Default File Display

Select a default view of files within a folder.

Choose between:

- Box
- Grid
- List view.

The *Box View* will display all files in equally big boxes.

![Default view and sort image 4](https://helpdesk.kontainer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/default-view-and-sort-image-4.png?v=1763368897)

The *Grid View* is more compact and displays files in the original dimensions.

![Default view and sort image 5](https://helpdesk.kontainer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/default-view-and-sort-image-5.png?v=1763368897)

The *List View* shows files including some details very compactly below each other.

![Default view and sort image 6](https://helpdesk.kontainer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/default-view-and-sort-image-6.png?v=1763368897)

Be aware that the *hover function* that quickly displays the files’ tagged data does not work for the List view. Read more about the hover function [**here**](https://helpdesk.kontainer.com/article/add-edit-a-description/#descriptiononhover).

Even though you have settled for a default view and sort folders, you can, of course, change these settings for individual folders afterward.

In the top right corner of your folder view, you will find three icons indicating the three different viewing styles. Even though you have set a default, you can choose a view for a specific folder at hand.

![Default view and sort image 7](https://helpdesk.kontainer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/default-view-and-sort-image-7.png?v=1763368897)

## Default folder style

To make your Kontainer appear even more as a part of your brand identity and corporate look, you can style your folder tiles in different ways.

Go to **Settings > Appearance** and change to the tab **Folders**.

![Default view and sort image 8](https://helpdesk.kontainer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/default-view-and-sort-image-8.png?v=1763368897)

Here, you have many options to customize your default folder view.

You can set a default for:

- Folder, text and icon colors
- Default folder image
- Folder color overlay
- Folder and text size
- Tile corner styles

You can read more about folder styling [**here**](https://helpdesk.kontainer.com/article/styling-your-kontainer/#chapter11).

Once again, you can create default settings for new folders – which you, however, still can change individually for each folder tile afterward.

—

That was a bit about the default settings of folder and file display and sorting.

Let us know how you are getting on 🙂

## Other languages

- [Deutsch](https://helpdesk.kontainer.com/de/article/standardansicht-und-sortierung/index.md)

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