A well-organized folder structure is one of the most important foundations of any Angular project. When beginners start building their first Angular applications, they often struggle with where to store components, services, models, pipes, and modules. A clean folder structure not only improves project readability but also ensures scalability, maintainability, and team collaboration.
Angular projects can grow fast. A simple app that starts with ten files can expand to hundreds as new features are added. Without a clear structure, your project will become hard to navigate and difficult to debug. That is why Angular developers follow certain conventions and best practices for project structuring.
This article is a complete, practical guide to help beginners understand how to design an efficient folder structure for Angular applications. You will see code examples, folder diagrams, flowcharts, and real-world approaches used by professional Angular teams.
Why Folder Structure Matters in Angular
Before diving into the structure, it is important to understand how it impacts the overall development workflow.
Maintainability
A clean structure allows developers to locate files easily. When the project grows, separating features logically prevents confusion.
Scalability
A well-designed structure supports future growth. You can add new features without breaking existing ones.
Collaboration
If multiple developers work on the same project, a consistent layout ensures that everyone follows a unified blueprint.
Modularity
Angular is built around modules and components. A structured approach encourages modular development and reusable code.
Debug Efficiency
With predictable folder layouts, debugging becomes much easier.
Angular Default Project Structure
When you create a project using the Angular CLI:
ng new my-app
You get a default structure like this:
my-app/
e2e/
node_modules/
src/
app/
app.component.css
app.component.html
app.component.ts
app.module.ts
assets/
environments/
index.html
main.ts
styles.css
angular.json
package.json
tsconfig.json
This structure is fine for very small apps, but beginners quickly outgrow it. As soon as multiple components and modules appear, this default layout becomes messy. You need a more scalable structure.
The Recommended Folder Structure for Angular Beginners
Below is a widely accepted structure used by many Angular teams. It is simple, scalable, and beginner-friendly.
src/
app/
core/
guards/
interceptors/
services/
layout/
core.module.ts
shared/
components/
directives/
pipes/
models/
shared.module.ts
features/
home/
components/
pages/
services/
home.module.ts
users/
components/
pages/
services/
users.module.ts
products/
components/
pages/
services/
products.module.ts
app-routing.module.ts
app.component.ts
app.module.ts
assets/
environments/
Let us break down each folder and understand the purpose.
Core Module
The core folder contains application-wide services and resources that should be loaded only once. Think of the core module as the heart of your application.
Typical items inside core:
Example core folder structure
core/
guards/
auth.guard.ts
interceptors/
auth.interceptor.ts
services/
auth.service.ts
logger.service.ts
layout/
header/
header.component.ts
footer/
footer.component.ts
core.module.ts
The core.module.ts is imported only in app.module.ts and nowhere else.
Shared Module
The shared folder contains reusable components, directives, pipes, and models that can be used across multiple features.
Typical items:
Shared UI components
Custom pipes
Shared directives
Data models
Utility functions
Common forms
Example shared folder structure
shared/
components/
card/
card.component.ts
modal/
modal.component.ts
directives/
highlight.directive.ts
pipes/
date-format.pipe.ts
models/
user.model.ts
product.model.ts
shared.module.ts
The shared module is designed to be imported by feature modules, but never imported in the core module.
Features Folder (The Most Important Part)
The features folder holds all application features. Each feature should have its own module and its own components, services, and pages.
This approach is known as the Feature-Based Folder Structure.
Example features folder
features/
home/
components/
pages/
services/
home.module.ts
users/
components/
pages/
services/
users.module.ts
products/
components/
pages/
services/
products.module.ts
Each feature is treated as a mini-application. This approach scales very well when your project grows.
Example: Users Feature
users/
components/
user-card/
user-card.component.ts
pages/
user-list/
user-list.component.ts
user-details/
user-details.component.ts
services/
user.service.ts
users.module.ts
users-routing.module.ts
Organizing components into pages and components helps keep UI elements separate from full-page screens.
Application Routing
Another key best practice: each feature should have its own routing module.
Example
users-routing.module.ts
With routing inside the feature folder, the main app-routing.module.ts becomes much cleaner.
Example main routing
const routes: Routes = [
{
path: 'users',
loadChildren: () =>
import('./features/users/users.module').then(m => m.UsersModule)
}
];
This enables lazy loading, improving performance.
Flowchart: How Angular Loads Feature Modules
Below is a conceptual flowchart describing how Angular loads modules and resolves routing.
+---------------------+
| main.ts starts |
+----------+----------+
|
v
+------------------+
| AppModule loads |
+--------+---------+
|
v
+---------------------------+
| AppRoutingModule checks |
| for route configuration |
+------------+--------------+
|
+-------------+--------------+
| |
v v
+------------------+ +---------------------------+
| URL is for root | | URL matches feature path |
| component | | (ex: /users) |
+------------------+ +------------+-------------+
|
v
+------------------------------+
| FeatureModule is lazy loaded |
+---------------+--------------+
|
v
+-----------------------------------+
| Feature routing loads the pages |
+-----------------------------------+
This structure ensures fast load times and organized routing flow.
Practical Example: Building a Simple User Management System
Let us demonstrate how the folder structure looks in practice for a simple user management system.
Step 1: Create the feature module
ng g module features/users --routing
This creates:
features/users/
users.module.ts
users-routing.module.ts
Step 2: Create components
ng g component features/users/pages/user-list
ng g component features/users/pages/user-details
ng g component features/users/components/user-card
Resulting structure
users/
components/
user-card/
user-card.component.ts
pages/
user-list/
user-list.component.ts
user-details/
user-details.component.ts
Step 3: Create service
ng g service features/users/services/user
Now you have:
services/
user.service.ts
Step 4: Connect routing
users-routing.module.ts:
const routes: Routes = [
{ path: '', component: UserListComponent },
{ path: ':id', component: UserDetailsComponent }
];
App routing will load this module:
{
path: 'users',
loadChildren: () =>
import('./features/users/users.module').then(m => m.UsersModule)
}
This follows Angular best practices for lazy loading and clean feature separation.
Tips for Beginners When Organizing Angular Projects
Here are some practical suggestions to avoid confusion.
1. Avoid storing all components in the app folder
This is a common beginner mistake. Once you have two or three components, your folder becomes cluttered.
2. Never import SharedModule into CoreModule
Doing so can cause circular dependency problems.
3. Keep feature modules small and focused
If a feature grows too large, consider splitting it into sub-features.
4. Name folders clearly
Avoid vague names like utils2 or newfolder.
Use clear naming conventions such as auth, users, products.
5. Use consistent naming
Component names should follow this pattern:
<name>.component.ts
<name>.component.html
<name>.component.css
6. Use subfolders for better separation
Separate:
Components
Pages
Services
Models
This visual clarity helps new developers navigate the code with confidence.
Advanced Folder Structure for Growing Teams
As you become more comfortable with Angular, you may need a more advanced structure used in enterprise-level applications. It is not necessary for beginners but good to learn.
src/
app/
core/
shared/
features/
store/
actions/
reducers/
effects/
selectors/
store.module.ts
This structure supports NgRx or other state management libraries.
Another variation includes a domain-driven folder structure:
src/
domain/
user/
product/
But these are best used once you become more experienced.
Common Mistakes Beginners Make
Understanding mistakes can help avoid future problems.
Mistake 1: Storing everything inside app/
This makes the structure unmanageable.
Mistake 2: Mixing reusable and feature-specific components
Reusable components should go in shared, not in feature folders.
Mistake 3: Not creating feature modules
Modules help scale your project. Even a simple feature should have a module.
Mistake 4: Keeping services in random folders
Always store services inside the feature or shared folder.
Mistake 5: Overusing the core module
Core should only contain global items.
Realistic Folder Structure Example
Here is a complete structure for a medium-sized Angular app.
src/
app/
core/
guards/
interceptors/
services/
layout/
core.module.ts
shared/
components/
directives/
pipes/
models/
shared.module.ts
features/
auth/
components/
pages/
services/
auth.module.ts
dashboard/
components/
pages/
services/
dashboard.module.ts
users/
components/
pages/
services/
users.module.ts
settings/
components/
pages/
settings.module.ts
store/
actions/
reducers/
effects/
selectors/
store.module.ts
app-routing.module.ts
app.module.ts
This structure is scalable, clean, and follows the principles of modular architecture.
Conclusion
A well-structured Angular project is essential for productivity and scalability. As a beginner, sticking to a professional folder layout helps you avoid confusion and prepares you for real-world development environments.
The recommended structure for beginners is feature-based, with separate folders for core, shared, and features. This approach aligns with Angular's modular architecture and encourages clean, maintainable code.
By learning how to organize your Angular project properly from the start, you set yourself up for success, whether you are working alone or with a team.
If you follow the structure and guidelines outlined in this article, you will have a scalable, maintainable, and easy-to-navigate Angular project.