An illustrative storage system generates a managed directory group for a file system. For example, the storage system may determine, in a file system, that a first managed directory and a second managed directory satisfy one or more criteria. The storage system may generate, in the file system and based on the determination, a managed directory group configured to provide coordinated storage management functionality to contents of the first managed directory and contents of the second managed directory as a group based on policies of the managed directory group.