How to link Notion with your local files and folders
Open the file browser directly from Notion to link your files and folders with a hyperlink. Works for Windows and macOS.
Notion is a great all-in-one organizer for any kind of project. Due to its customizability, you can also use it to organize your animation, motion graphics, and game projects. However, these projects involve lots of files, which are typically out of Notion's reach. Notion cannot read the file system.
Why File Organization in Notion Is Not Great
Notion only allows you to upload files as attachments. This is great for images or videos because they can be viewed directly in Notion. However, for everything else, such as Blender files, EXR images or any 3D graphics, this does not work. You have to download them, go to your download folder, and put them back in your project folder structure, which is a painful process.
Open Folders and Files Using Web Links
With the help of Anchorpoint, you can link your local files and folders to Notion using a URL. Clicking on this URL will open the browser in the correct folder, regardless of where your files are located. They do not have to be on Google Drive or a similar platform. Anchorpoint creates a web link that points to these files and folders, which can be used in Slack or anywhere else you prefer.
Link Notion to your files and folders
How to Create Web Links to Open Local Files in Notion
Download Anchorpoint
Download Anchorpoint for Windows or macOS and install it. As Anchorpoint is an asset manager, it will start a trial when you launch the app for the first time. Don’t worry, everything will work after your trial has expired.
After you create an account, you can use Anchorpoint as a file browser and browse to the folder you want to link to Notion.
Creating a Project
To create web-links for files and folders, projects are required in Anchorpoint. Simply click on "Create a project" button in the top right corner of the folder to which you want to link to Notion. Follow the wizard; you do not need to change the project name or assign team members to it.
Creating an App Link
Anchorpoint calls web-links "app-links" because they trigger the application to browse to the correct folder. Click on the chain icon in the top right corner or press CMD+SHIFT+C.
Creating a URL Property in Notion and Pasting the Link
Now, go to Notion, and inside your database, create a URL property. Paste the link from Anchorpoint into the empty field.
Opening the Folder in Notion
When you click on the URL in Notion, a website will open and trigger Anchorpoint. Give it permission to do that, so Anchorpoint can then browse to the corresponding folder.
That's it. You can also link files to Notion by right-clicking a file in Anchorpoint and choosing "Copy App Link." The rest is the same as with folders.
Using App-Links in a Team
When you work with a team, and multiple people need to open the files and folders from Notion, everyone needs an Anchorpoint account and needs to be part of the project you created. That requires a Team plan with corresponding seats.
Furthermore, everyone needs to have access to the files and folders, which is given by sharing them via Dropbox or having them on a NAS or similar. You can find more information on projects in Anchorpoint in our documentation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I create a hyperlink to a file?
You can create hyperlinks to files using the app-link feature in Anchorpoint. Simply create a project in Anchorpoint, and inside that project, click on the chain icon in the top-right corner to create a hyperlink to a folder. You can also right-click on any file and choose “Copy App Link”.
Will my files be uploaded to the cloud?
No, files stay on your local computer. Anchorpoint works like a file browser and simply browses to the location of your file without uploading it to any cloud.
Where can I paste links that link to my files?
You can paste links (called app-links in Anchorpoint) into any application, such as a wiki tool like Notion or a chat application like Slack.
