Export folder structure

Kentico instances organize all files in the single CMS folder, even if you manage multiple websites in one installation.

The following list describes the main folders and how they are affected during the import and export.

Color

Meaning

red

System folders. Do not make any changes or place your files here unless you want to modify the administration interface.

blue

Folders for custom files, part of the export package.

green

Folders for custom files, part of the export package. You may need to create these folders manually.

black

Service folders (import files, import/export).

  • Admin
  • App_Browsers
  • App_Code (or Old_App_Code if you installed Kentico as a web application)
    • CMSModules\<module_name> (folders of custom modules)
    • Global (exports with any site, needs to be created manually; the folder is exported if the ‘Export global folders’ option is checked during the export process)
    • <site code name> (exports with given site, needs to be created manually; the folder is exported if the ‘Export site folders’ option is checked during the export process)
  • App_Data
    • CMSModules\<module_name> (folders of custom modules)
  • App_Themes
    • <stylesheet name> (all folders related to stylesheets assigned to or used on the website)
  • App_WebReferences
  • bin
  • ClientBin
  • CMSAdminControls
  • CMSAPIExamples
  • CMSDesk
  • CMSEdit
  • CMSFormControls (all form controls selected in the export process are exported with any site)
  • CMSGlobalFiles (exports with any website, needs to be created manually; the folder is exported if the ‘Export global folders’ option is checked during the export process)
  • CMSImportFiles
  • CMSInlineControls (all inline controls selected in the export process are exported with any site)
  • CMSInstall
  • CMSMasterPages
  • CMSMessages
  • CMSModules
    • Forums\Controls\Layouts\Custom (forum custom layouts; exported with any website, needs to be created manually; the folder is exported only if the ‘Copy forum custom layouts folder’ option is checked during the export process)
    • <module name> (folders of custom modules)
  • CMSPages
  • CMSResources
  • CMSScripts (CMSScripts\Custom is a custom file folder and is part of the export package - the folder contains JavaScript files)
  • CMSSiteManager
  • CMSSiteUtils
  • CMSTemplates (all files for selected ASPX page templates are exported with any site, page templates in other folders are exported as well if they are assigned/used on the given site; the whole folder is exported if the ‘Export ASPX templates folder’ option is checked in the export process)
  • CMSVirtualFIles (stores virtual objects when using deployment mode)
  • CMSWebParts (all web parts selected in the export process are exported with any site; if the web part uses additional files, they must be placed in a folder in format <webpartCodeName>_files; files that are not registered as web parts are not included in the export package)
  • Controllers
  • Models
  • Views
  • <site code name> (exports with a given site, needs to be created manually or may be created automatically when storing files on the disk; the folder is exported if the ‘Export site folders’ option is checked in the export process)
    • Files (the default folder for storing files if the system is configured for saving files on the disk)