Script to Move Selected Text Layers into a Specific Folder (Create If Not Exists)

Oops, I missed that the title mentioned text layers!

Both of the scripts currently move any layer, without restricting it to be a layer kind of text.

This 1.1 version offers a prompt to enter the group name, rather than hard coding it into the script.

/*
Group or Move Selected Layers to Group.jsx
Stephen Marsh
v1.0, 25th February 2026 - Initial release
v1.1, 25th February 2026 - Added a prompt to enter the group name
https://community.adobe.com/questions-712/script-to-move-selected-text-layers-into-a-specific-folder-create-if-not-exists-1551320
*/

#target photoshop

if (app.documents.length > 0) {
    app.activeDocument.suspendHistory("Group or Move Selected Layers to Group", "main()");
} else {
    alert("A document must be open to run this script!");
}

// Main function
function main() {

    // Prompt for group name (default = "A")
    var theGroupName = prompt("Enter the group name:", "A");

    // Exit if cancelled or empty
    if (!theGroupName || theGroupName.replace(/\s+/g, "") === "") {
        return;
    }

    if (!groupExists(theGroupName)) {
        selectedLayersToGroup(theGroupName);
    } else {
        moveSelectedLayersToTopOfGroup(theGroupName);
    }
}


// Helper Functions

function moveSelectedLayersToTopOfGroup(groupName) {

    var doc = app.activeDocument;
    var targetGroup = doc.layerSets.getByName(groupName);
    var selectedLayers = getSelectedLayers();

    if (selectedLayers.length === 0) return;

    // Remove the group itself if selected
    for (var i = selectedLayers.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
        if (selectedLayers[i] === targetGroup) {
            selectedLayers.splice(i, 1);
        }
    }

    if (selectedLayers.length === 0) return;

    // Move layers into group (reverse order preserves stacking)
    for (var i = selectedLayers.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
        selectedLayers[i].move(targetGroup, ElementPlacement.INSIDE);
    }

    // Move them to the top of the group
    for (var j = selectedLayers.length - 1; j >= 0; j--) {
        selectedLayers[j].move(targetGroup.layers[0], ElementPlacement.PLACEBEFORE);
    }
}

function selectedLayersToGroup(groupName) {

    var idMk = charIDToTypeID("Mk  ");
    var desc = new ActionDescriptor();
    var ref = new ActionReference();
    ref.putClass(stringIDToTypeID("layerSection"));
    desc.putReference(charIDToTypeID("null"), ref);

    var refFrom = new ActionReference();
    refFrom.putEnumerated(charIDToTypeID("Lyr "), charIDToTypeID("Ordn"), charIDToTypeID("Trgt"));
    desc.putReference(charIDToTypeID("From"), refFrom);

    var descName = new ActionDescriptor();
    descName.putString(charIDToTypeID("Nm  "), groupName);
    desc.putObject(charIDToTypeID("Usng"), stringIDToTypeID("layerSection"), descName);
    desc.putString(charIDToTypeID("Nm  "), groupName);

    executeAction(idMk, desc, DialogModes.NO);
}

function groupExists(groupName) {

    var layers = app.activeDocument.layers;

    for (var i = 0; i < layers.length; i++) {
        if (layers[i].typename === "LayerSet" && layers[i].name === groupName) {
            return true;
        }
    }

    return false;
}

// Courtesy of jazz-y
function getSelectedLayers() {

    var selLayers = [];
    var ref = new ActionReference();
    ref.putProperty(stringIDToTypeID("property"), stringIDToTypeID("targetLayers"));
    ref.putEnumerated(charIDToTypeID("Dcmn"), charIDToTypeID("Ordn"), charIDToTypeID("Trgt"));

    try {
        var desc = executeActionGet(ref);
        if (desc.hasKey(stringIDToTypeID("targetLayers"))) {
            var list = desc.getList(stringIDToTypeID("targetLayers"));
            for (var i = 0; i < list.count; i++) {
                var idx = list.getReference(i).getIndex();
                selLayers.push(app.activeDocument.layers[idx - 1]);
            }
        }
    } catch (e) {
        selLayers.push(app.activeDocument.activeLayer);
    }

    return selLayers;
}

​@KathyDang 

I’m not aware of an existing script to do this, so I wrote one for you!

/*
Group or Move Selected Layers to Group.jsx
Stephen Marsh
v1.0, 25th February 2026
https://community.adobe.com/questions-712/script-to-move-selected-text-layers-into-a-specific-folder-create-if-not-exists-1551320
*/

#target photoshop

if (app.documents.length > 0) {
    app.activeDocument.suspendHistory("Group or Move Selected Layers to Group", "main()");
} else {
    alert("A document must be open to run this script!");
}

// Main function
function main() {
    var theGroupName = "A"; // The group name
    if (!groupExists(theGroupName)) {
        selectedLayersToGroup(theGroupName);
    } else {
        moveSelectedLayersToTopOfGroup(theGroupName);
    }
}


// Helper Functions

function moveSelectedLayersToTopOfGroup(groupName) {

    var doc = app.activeDocument;
    var targetGroup = doc.layerSets.getByName(groupName);
    var selectedLayers = getSelectedLayers();

    if (selectedLayers.length === 0) return;

    // Remove the group itself if selected
    for (var i = selectedLayers.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
        if (selectedLayers[i] === targetGroup) {
            selectedLayers.splice(i, 1);
        }
    }

    if (selectedLayers.length === 0) return;

    // Move layers into group (reverse order preserves stacking)
    for (var i = selectedLayers.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
        selectedLayers[i].move(targetGroup, ElementPlacement.INSIDE);
    }

    // Move them to the top of the group
    for (var j = selectedLayers.length - 1; j >= 0; j--) {
        selectedLayers[j].move(targetGroup.layers[0], ElementPlacement.PLACEBEFORE);
    }
}

function selectedLayersToGroup(groupName) {

    var idMk = charIDToTypeID("Mk  ");
    var desc = new ActionDescriptor();
    var ref = new ActionReference();
    ref.putClass(stringIDToTypeID("layerSection"));
    desc.putReference(charIDToTypeID("null"), ref);

    var refFrom = new ActionReference();
    refFrom.putEnumerated(charIDToTypeID("Lyr "), charIDToTypeID("Ordn"), charIDToTypeID("Trgt"));
    desc.putReference(charIDToTypeID("From"), refFrom);

    var descName = new ActionDescriptor();
    descName.putString(charIDToTypeID("Nm  "), groupName);
    desc.putObject(charIDToTypeID("Usng"), stringIDToTypeID("layerSection"), descName);
    desc.putString(charIDToTypeID("Nm  "), groupName);

    executeAction(idMk, desc, DialogModes.NO);
}

function groupExists(groupName) {

    var layers = app.activeDocument.layers;

    for (var i = 0; i < layers.length; i++) {
        if (layers[i].typename === "LayerSet" && layers[i].name === groupName) {
            return true;
        }
    }

    return false;
}

// Courtesy of jazz-y
function getSelectedLayers() {

    var selLayers = [];
    var ref = new ActionReference();
    ref.putProperty(stringIDToTypeID("property"), stringIDToTypeID("targetLayers"));
    ref.putEnumerated(charIDToTypeID("Dcmn"), charIDToTypeID("Ordn"), charIDToTypeID("Trgt"));

    try {
        var desc = executeActionGet(ref);
        if (desc.hasKey(stringIDToTypeID("targetLayers"))) {
            var list = desc.getList(stringIDToTypeID("targetLayers"));
            for (var i = 0; i < list.count; i++) {
                var idx = list.getReference(i).getIndex();
                selLayers.push(app.activeDocument.layers[idx - 1]);
            }
        }
    } catch (e) {
        selLayers.push(app.activeDocument.activeLayer);
    }

    return selLayers;
}

1. Copy the code text to the clipboard
2. Open a new blank file in a plain-text editor (not in a word processor)
3. Paste the code in
4. Save as a plain text format file – .txt
5. Rename the saved file extension from .txt to .jsx
6. Install or browse to the .jsx file to run (see link below)

[link removed by moderator]