How to Filter and Organize Cloud Files by Size With Blober

Size changes cost, transfer time, storage choice, and retrieval behavior.

• A videographer may want multi-gigabyte masters in object storage and small proxies on a collaboration drive.
• An IT team may separate large database dumps from small configuration backups.
• A business may need to find oversized attachments consuming expensive shared storage.
• A researcher may move large datasets to archive storage while keeping papers and README files easy to access.

Blober handles size in two ways: broad filters on the source, and exact variables in the destination path.

Select a source folder, then expand Advanced Filters (Optional). File Size offers:

• Small: under approximately 1 MB
• Medium: approximately 1-10 MB
• Large: over approximately 10 MB
• Any size

The filter decides which files enter the workflow. It does not rename them or create size folders.

For example, to copy only large videos:

1. Select the project or media folder.
2. Choose video extensions.
3. Choose Large.
4. Select an archive destination.
5. Preserve paths or add a template.

That combines type and size, since not every MP4 is large.

Path templates provide:

{file_size}
{file_size_mb}

{file_size} is the exact source-reported byte count:

1572864

{file_size_mb} converts it to megabytes rounded to two decimal places:

1.50

A template:

by-size/{file_size_mb}/{filename}

could produce:

by-size/1.50/document.pdf

That template creates one folder for each rounded size value. It does not create buckets named small, medium or large, and in a varied media collection it can mean thousands of nearly unique folders.

Use one workflow per meaningful size class and put a static category in its template.

Size filter: Large
Template: large-files/{file_dir}/{filename}
Destination: low-cost object storage

Size filter: Medium
Template: medium-files/{file_dir}/{filename}
Destination: team collaboration storage

Size filter: Small
Template: small-files/{file_ext}/{file_dir}/{filename}
Destination: searchable document share

You get readable category folders, and the rule is easy to see in Preview & Summary.

Exact size variables still have valid uses:

• Evidence or export manifests where visible byte count helps verification
• Diagnostic transfers investigating unexpectedly large objects
• Temporary audit collections
• Comparing provider-reported object sizes

Example:

size-audit/{file_size}/{file_dir}/{filename}

For a permanent library, exact-size directories are usually less usable than size filters plus a static label.

Not every provider reports a meaningful size for every object. When size is unknown, Blober renders:

NO_SIZE
NO_SIZE_MB

So:

{file_size_mb}/{filename}

can produce:

NO_SIZE_MB/document.pdf

Blober uses a visible marker on purpose, so that an unknown size is never silently treated as zero bytes.

Preview the source before relying on size. If many files show an unknown size, organize them by type, date, or relative folder instead.

A large size does not prove a file is a master. Combined with names and extensions, it is still a useful first boundary:

File Types: video
Size: Large
Exclude: **/{proxy,proxies,temp,cache}/**
Template: masters/{file_created_date}/{file_dir}/{filename}

Create a separate workflow for proxy folders if they need a cheaper or shorter-lived destination.

Select the study folder.

• Large workflow: archive datasets and binaries.
• Small/medium workflow: copy PDFs, Markdown, notebooks, and charts to collaboration storage.

The two destinations can serve different access patterns, and the source stays as it is.

Select a shared folder, choose Large, and preview the result. Before you run any transfer, the preview gives you a focused list and the total known size. Copy the candidates to an archive once their owners confirm they are no longer active.

A size filter helps you decide what to put in a cheaper tier. It does not calculate provider charges, and storage price, retrieval fees, egress, minimum retention and API operations still apply.

A sensible workflow is:

1. Identify large inactive files.
2. Copy them to a separate archive.
3. Verify access and integrity.
4. Retain the original until policy permits deletion.
5. Use Move only after the archive is trusted.

What counts as a large file in the size filter? Over about 10 MB. Small is under about 1 MB, and Medium is roughly 1 to 10 MB.

Can one template sort files into small, medium and large folders? No. {file_size_mb} makes a folder for every rounded size value. Run one workflow per size class with a static folder name, such as large-files/{file_dir}/{filename}.

What happens when a provider doesn't report a file's size? The size variables become NO_SIZE and NO_SIZE_MB, so the file lands in a folder with that name. Organize those files by type, date or relative folder instead.

• Copy, Organize, or Move Files With Blober
• Organize Cloud Files by Type and Extension