Save In: use multiple download folders in Firefox or Chrome

Save In... is a browser extension for the Firefox and Chrome web browser that you may use to add multiple download folders to Firefox or Chrome to switch between the folders when downloading files.

The extension supports additional functionality, a dynamic rules-based feature to rename or route downloads automatically based on rules you define.

All major web browsers use one download folder for file downloads. While you may change the download folder usually to any location you like, you have to change the folder manually each time you don't want to save files to that particular folder.

Maybe, you want to separate image downloads from other files, or download videos to another drive because of the size they have.

Download Managers offer that functionality, but if you don't want to install one, you may use a browser extension like Save In for that as well.

Different Save Folders in Firefox

Save In... automates the process of saving files to different folders in Firefox or Chrome. The current state of WebExtensions APIs prevents extensions from saving data to a location outside the default download folder automatically.

Save In suggests to use symlinks to bypass that restriction. It explains how that is done in the add-on options but the process is probably too complicated for most Firefox or Chrome users.

If you are on a Windows machine, you'd have to run the command mklink /D C:pathToSymlinkInDefaultDownloadDirectory d:\newPath to create a new symbolic link. This needs to be repeated for any save location that you add in the extension's options.

It is then a matter of selecting one of the available additional download locations to save files directory to the folders.

Several options are available to customize the functionality. The extension supports the saving of files, links, selected text bits, and the current page by default. You may add tabstrip saving to the list to save one or multiple tabs as well.

The extension does not display a save file dialog by default. You can enable that in the options, or hold down the Shift-key to display it only when you need it.

Save In... supports dynamic downloads next to regular downloads. The dynamic download functionality of the extension adds two new options to it that users may make use of.

The first renames downloaded files automatically, the second reroutes downloads. Both options are rules based. The developer highlights some examples on the GitHub project page. They demonstrate how to remove the "large" part of the filename of downloaded Twitter images, or how to add a file extension to files that don't have one.

Closing words

Save In... unlocks multiple download folders in Chrome and Firefox that you can switch between easily. Setup is fairly complicated thanks to WebExtension limitations which likely limits the reach of the extension significantly.

It is useful for Firefox or Chrome users who download a lot and save the downloaded files to different directories.