Filing to NetDocuments
This article contains the following topics:
- Showing the Filing Pane
- Locating the Filing Pane
- Email Filing Options
- Right-Click Command List
- Filing to a Single Destination
- Filing to Multiple Destinations
- Conversation Autofiling
- Batch Filing
- Scheduled Autofiling
- Filing Email Attachments
- Filing Status
- Filing History
Showing the Filing Pane
ZERO Athena is enhanced with a feature allowing you to show/hide the ZERO pane. This technique helps you to customize how ZERO’s filing pane appears.
To show/hide ZERO Athena’s email filing pane:
- Click Home.
- In the ZERO ribbon, click Show/Hide ZERO Pane. The filing pane appears/closes from the last opened position (Top/Side/Popup). For details about how to customize the email filing pane, see Locating the Filing Pane.
The email filing pane is designed to retain its last state when you restart Outlook. If it was hidden before closing, it remains hidden upon reopening.
Note: The filing pane is hidden by default in unsupported folders like Calendar, Drafts, Outbox, etc. You can view it by clicking the Show ZERO Pane button on the Home ribbon. However, you will only see a message indicating that the folder is unsupported.
Locating the Filing Pane
You have the option to position the filing pane wherever it best suits you. ZERO filing pane can appear in the following positions:
- Top Filing Pane - appears under the ribbon when you click the Show Zero Pane button on the Home ribbon for the first time. You can click anywhere on the title bar of the pane and drag it to the right side or bottom of the Outlook window or bring it out of the window, so it is displayed as a popup.
Note: When you first start ZERO, the filing pane is positioned on top.
- Side Filing Pane – once you drag the top pane to the right side of the Outlook window, it dynamically transforms into the side filing pane. It usually has more filing attributes visible.
- Popup Filing Pane - has the same functionality and user interface as the side filing pane; the only difference is that it appears in its own popup window and appears when you drag the top or side filing pane outside of the Outlook window.
Email Filing Options
You have the following options to file your emails:
- Manual Filing - If ZERO lacks predictions for a selected email, you can file it manually. To do that, select the required attribute values from the drop-down lists on the filing pane and click the File button. Please note that when selecting a filed email, the filing details are displayed allowing you to Unfile the email.
- Predictive Filing - If ZERO has a strong prediction for a selected email, you can see the predicted values displayed in the filing pane. File the selected email by clicking the Quick file button.
- Send and File – Simultaneously send and file a new email. Select attributes in the filing window before sending and filing.
Note: In case you send a new email on behalf of a delegated account using Send and File, it automatically appears in the Sent Items folder of the primary account but is filed on behalf of the delegated account.
In the top pane, only key attributes are displayed. For a complete view of ZERO Athena's predicted attributes, click Details. This opens the Email Filing popup, showing all details for manual selection. To modify any attributes, choose a different value from the drop-down menu.
Right-Click Command List
ZERO offers the following actions in the right-click menu:
- ZERO File – appears in the right-click menu if there are no Ready to file emails among the ones you have selected. It initiates the filing pane, allowing you to specify destination and attributes.
- ZERO Quick File – instantly files Ready to file emails to their predicted destinations without opening the filing pane. If you have selected emails with Ready to file and other statuses, then it will file only the Ready to file emails.
- ZERO Filing Info – displays all destinations the email is filed to.
- Don’t File – removes the Ready to file status from an email to prevent it from being filed during the autofiling process, which automatically files all emails marked as Ready to file.
- ZERO Unfile – removes a previously filed email from the DMS. This option is enabled only for filed emails.
- ZERO Open in NetDocuments – allows you to see your filed email in NetDocuments.
- ZERO Move – moves either single messages or conversations to another folder using prediction algorithms. For more information about ZERO Move, see Predictive Move to Folder.
Filing to a Single Destination
To file an email to a single destination:
- Select the email you want to file.
- In the ZERO: Email Filing pane, select your desired database. If available, choose All databases to search for workspaces across all configured databases.
- Specify all the necessary filing attributes.
Note: In the Folder field, ZERO Athena allows you to set default folders for workspaces (Client and Matter groupings). This can be enabled in the configuration file. When enabled, the default folder will be auto selected after Client and Matter selections. - If needed, turn on the AutoFile this Conversation option to automatically file any messages in the conversation that haven't been filed previously. Incoming messages for this conversation will also be automatically directed to the selected destination.
- Click File.
Filing to Multiple Destinations
To file an email to multiple destinations:
- Select the already filed email you want to file to another destination. The ZERO: Email Filing pane displays its current destination.
Note: Upon selecting a filed email, you can either unfile it, open it in NetDocuments, or view conversation autofiling details if enabled. For more information about conversation autofiling, see Conversation Autofiling. - Click File at the bottom of the pane.
- Select the new destination for filing.
- Specify all the necessary filing attributes.
Note: In the Folder field, ZERO Athena allows you to set default folders for workspaces (Client and Matter groupings). This can be enabled in the configuration file. When enabled, the default folder will be auto selected after Client and Matter selections. - Click File. Or click Cancel to terminate the operation.
Conversation Autofiling
Using the Conversation Autofiling feature, you can effectively manage emails, whether they have been previously filed or not, ensuring they are automatically directed to the correct destinations. Additionally, this feature provides a clear view of autofiling details.
In this section:
- Activating Autofiling for Emails Not Yet Filed
- Activating Autofiling for Previously Filed Emails
- Viewing Autofiling Details
Activating Autofiling for Emails Not Yet Filed
To activate conversation autofiling for emails not yet filed:
- Once you’ve set the required filing attributes, turn on the Autofile this Conversation option in the ZERO: Email Filing window.
- Click File. All existing and future messages from the conversation will automatically be filed to the chosen iManage destination.
Note: Messages from this conversation that have already been filed will not be relocated. Only existing messages that haven't been filed, as well as future messages, will be directed to the chosen destination.
Activating Autofiling for Previously Filed Emails
To activate conversation autofiling for previously filed emails:
- Select the previously filed email for which you want to activate conversation autofiling.
- In the ZERO: Email Filing pane, turn on the Conversation Autofiling option.
- In the File Message screen that appears, specify all the filing attributes.
- Click Enable Autofile. All existing messages that haven’t been filed, as well as future messages, will be directed to the chosen destination. Please note that previously filed messages will not be relocated.
Viewing Autofiling Details
To view or change autofiling details for an already filed email:
- Select the already filed email.
- In the ZERO: Email Filing window, click Details next to the Conversation Autofiling switch.
- In the Autofiling Info screen, view the autofiling details or click Change Destination to modify the autofiling location.
Batch Filing
ZERO Athena allows you to batch file emails either to multiple destinations or a singular one.
To batch file multiple emails to multiple destinations:
- Select a group of emails marked as Ready to file.
Note: If your selection contains emails with varying statuses, only those marked as Ready to file will proceed. - Right-click on the selection and choose ZERO Quick File. The selected emails will be filed to the predicted destinations.
Note: During batch filing, ZERO scans for predictions in all databases. An email is marked Ready to file when a single auto file-suitable prediction is identified in all databases.
To batch file multiple emails to the same destination:
- Select a group of emails with mixed statuses.
- Right click and select ZERO File. The ZERO: Email Filing pane appears displaying the number of selected emails.
- Specify the filing attributes for the selected batch of emails.
Note: The selected attributes apply to the entire batch of emails. If you do not want to file all selected emails with identical attributes, do not use this method. - Click the File button to file emails to your chosen destination.
Scheduled Autofiling
Scheduled autofiling is an efficient, hands-free way to automatically file Ready to File emails after a specified period. This can be set up for emails within the Ready to File Search Folder. For more information about Search Folders, refer to Use Search Folders to Find Messages or Other Outlook Items. Please note that by default, only your primary account displays Search Folders. To view them for delegated accounts, refer to Enabling Search Folders for Delegated Accounts.
ZERO Athena’s Search Folders are the following:
- Ready to Delete – contains emails older than 90 days, ready to be deleted from Outlook. You can delete all at once by accessing this folder and selecting Move All Messages to ‘Deleted Items’ in the Outlook Home tab. If there are more than 100 emails, the button changes to Move top 100 Messages to ‘Deleted Items’. Please note that deleting these messages using Outlook’s standard Delete will not let ZERO verify the email’s presence in your DMS.
Note: When emails in Ready to Delete are set for removal, ZERO notifies you. You can either delete immediately or review first. This reminder pops up every two days. - Ready to File – contains emails that are ready to be filed. You can file these emails at once by accessing this folder and selecting File All Messages from this Folder in the Outlook Home tab. Moreover, you can set specific times for filing these emails or schedule reminders. For details on how to do that, see Autofile.
Note: Autofiling will not happen if you file emails yourself or forbid autofiling. To forbid autofiling, go to the Ready to File Search Folder, right-click the email, and choose Don’t File. The Ready to File status of the selected email will be cleared and it will be removed from this folder permanently.
Click on the link below to learn more:
Enabling Search Folders for Delegated Accounts
It is important to note that you should enable Search Folders only in case it is extremely necessary to have autofiling in delegated accounts, as well as if you have already disabled it in the account owner’s Outlook.
To enable Search Folders for your delegated accounts:
- Open your Outlook and navigate to File > Account Settings > Account Settings…. The Account Settings screen is displayed.
- In the Email tab, double click on your primary account name. The Exchange Account Settings screen is displayed.
- Select More Settings > Advanced.
- Remove the tick from the Download shared folders field and click OK.
- Click Next and then Done. Your account is successfully updated.
- Restart your Outlook and ZERO. Now, you can see Search Folders for your delegated account.
Filing Email Attachments
To file any document attached to your email:
- Click the arrow next to the attachment.
- Select ZERO File Attachment. Two options are displayed:
- File New Document – files the attachment as a fresh document in NetDocuments.
- File New Version – files the attachment as a new version of a document that already exists in NetDocuments.
- Select your preferred option. The Attachment Filing window appears.
- Select your desired database from the drop-down list and fill in all the filing parameters.
- Optionally, tick the Add to recent checkbox to add the attachment to your recent list.
- Optionally, tick the Official version checkbox to save it as an official document version.
- Click File. If saved as a new document, the attachment will become a new entry in NetDocuments. If saved as a new version, it will update an existing attachment in NetDocuments.
Note: Filing of an email attachment does not affect the email filing prediction.
Once you file an attachment, the ZERO Filed Details option becomes available when selecting the arrow next to the attachment. This allows you to view the filed attachment details and open it in NetDocuments via the Open in NetDocuments button. Additionally, you can view these details by choosing the appropriate attachment under Filing History in the ZERO tab. For details, refer to Filing History.
Filing Status
ZERO provides visual indications for filing statuses of emails. These indications are displayed via the following columns:
- Categories
- ZeroFilingStatus
- Destination
In the Categories column the filing status of an email is indicated by the following colors and labels:
- Filed represents the emails that are filed. It is indicated in green (
) and the label is "Filed".
- Ready to file represents the emails that have a single predicted destination and can be filed with one click or by using batch and auto-filing options. It is marked in yellow (
- Unfiled represents the emails that have been filed and then deleted from the DMS (unfiled) using the ZERO Add-in. It is marked in purple (
- In-Process represents emails that are currently in the process of being filed to NetDocuments. It is indicated in gray (
) and the label is "In-Process". Usually, you will see this status when you have started the filing process for single or multiple emails, or during automatic filing enabled by selecting the AutoFile ON option.
Note: The In-Process status later turns into Queued, if ZERO Add-in is configured to perform filing through the Communication server but the server still has not picked it up and filed. The Queued status is indicated in gray ( - Error represents the emails that have encountered a problem during filing/unfiling and the operation has failed. It is marked in red (
In addition to showing the filing status via Outlook Categories, ZERO offers the ZeroFilingStatus column. The difference between these two columns is that the Categories field in Outlook might already be in use by the user or another application. The ZeroFilingStatus column is specific to the ZERO Add-in and does not conflict with other Outlook applications. It shows the same filing statuses with the same labels as in the Categories column but with no color indication.
The Destination column is automatically added by ZERO to Outlook. It shows different information for different filing statuses:
- For emails with “Filed” status – the path to the filing location within NetDocuments
- For emails with “Ready to file” status – the predicted path to the location where an email might be filed within NetDocuments
- For emails with “Error” status – a relevant error message
Note: You can group emails by categories such as “Ready to file” to quickly and easily see what still needs to be addressed before filing to NetDocuments.
You can also sort emails by destination and perform bulk actions like batch filing of multiple emails at a time. Grouping the emails by destination is an easy way to locate emails belonging to the same matter.
For more details, see the following video example: https://vimeo.com/314865611/71befbe80f.
Filing History
To access the Filing History in ZERO Athena, go to the ZERO tab located on the Outlook ribbon and click on Filing History.
This section keeps a record of your filings and includes details like the email/attachment, its date, destination, filing date, and status (filed or unfiled).
The Filing History section is enhanced with a number of features. To understand and use them effectively:
- Select an email or attachment to display its associated filing details, which appear on the right side of the screen.
- The Filed column shows whether the item was filed manually by the user or automatically through ZERO's Autofile.
- If you wish to view an item in Outlook, double-click on it or select it and hit the View Selected Message button. However, ensure it hasn't previously been deleted from Outlook.
- To see the email/attachment in NetDocuments, click Open in NetDocuments situated at the lower part of the details section.
- Use the
button in the Unfile column if you need to remove the filed email/attachment from the DMS.
- To export your filing history, click the Export Filing History button at the window's bottom and choose a save location on your PC to download the history.
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