File Organizer

When to Use This Skill

• Your Downloads folder is a chaotic mess
• You can't find files because they're scattered everywhere
• You have duplicate files taking up space
• Your folder structure doesn't make sense anymore
• You want to establish better organization habits
• You're starting a new project and need a good structure
• You're cleaning up before archiving old projects

What This Skill Does

1. Analyzes Current Structure: Reviews your folders and files to understand what you have
2. Finds Duplicates: Identifies duplicate files across your system
3. Suggests Organization: Proposes logical folder structures based on your content
4. Automates Cleanup: Moves, renames, and organizes files with your approval
5. Maintains Context: Makes smart decisions based on file types, dates, and content
6. Reduces Clutter: Identifies old files you probably don't need anymore

Instructions

When a user requests file organization help:

1. Understand the Scope

Ask clarifying questions:

• Which directory needs organization? (Downloads, Documents, entire home folder?)
• What's the main problem? (Can't find things, duplicates, too messy, no structure?)
• Any files or folders to avoid? (Current projects, sensitive data?)
• How aggressively to organize? (Conservative vs. comprehensive cleanup)

1. Analyze Current State

Review the target directory:

bash # Get overview of current structure ls -la target_directory]

# Check file types and sizes find target_directory] -type f -exec file {} \; | head -20

# Identify largest files du -sh target_directory]/ | sort -rh | head -20

# Count file types find target_directory] -type f | sed 's/.\.//' | sort | uniq -c | sort -rn

Summarize findings:

• Total files and folders
• File type breakdown
• Size distribution
• Date ranges
• Obvious organization issues

1. Identify Organization Patterns

Based on the files, determine logical groupings:

By Type:

• Documents (PDFs, DOCX, TXT)
• Images (JPG, PNG, SVG)
• Videos (MP4, MOV)
• Archives (ZIP, TAR, DMG)
• Code/Projects (directories with code)
• Spreadsheets (XLSX, CSV)
• Presentations (PPTX, KEY)

By Purpose:

• Work vs. Personal
• Active vs. Archive
• Project-specific
• Reference materials
• Temporary/scratch files

By Date:

• Current year/month
• Previous years
• Very old (archive candidates)

1. Find Duplicates

When requested, search for duplicates:

bash # Find exact duplicates by hash find directory] -type f -exec md5 {} \; | sort | uniq -d

# Find files with similar names find directory] -type f -printf '%f\n' | sort | uniq -d

# Find similar-sized files find directory] -type f -printf '%s %p\n' | sort -n

For each set of duplicates:

• Show all file paths
• Display sizes and modification dates
• Recommend which to keep (usually newest or best-named)
• Important: Always ask for confirmation before deleting

1. Propose Organization Plan

Present a clear plan before making changes:

markdown # Organization Plan for Directory]

## Current State

• X files across Y folders
• Size] total
• File types: breakdown]
• Issues: list problems]

## Proposed Structure

Directory]/ ├── Work/ │ ├── Projects/ │ ├── Documents/ │ └── Archive/ ├── Personal/ │ ├── Photos/ │ ├── Documents/ │ └── Media/ └── Downloads/ ├── To-Sort/ └── Archive/

## Changes I'll Make

1. Create new folders: list]
2. Move files:

• X PDFs → Work/Documents/
• Y images → Personal/Photos/
• Z old files → Archive/

1. Rename files: any renaming patterns]
2. Delete: duplicates or trash files]

## Files Needing Your Decision

• List any files you're unsure about]

Ready to proceed? (yes/no/modify)

1. Execute Organization

After approval, organize systematically:

bash # Create folder structure mkdir -p "path/to/new/folders"

# Move files with clear logging mv "old/path/file.pdf" "new/path/file.pdf"

# Rename files with consistent patterns # Example: "YYYY-MM-DD - Description.ext"

Important Rules:

• Always confirm before deleting anything
• Log all moves for potential undo
• Preserve original modification dates
• Handle filename conflicts gracefully
• Stop and ask if you encounter unexpected situations

1. Provide Summary and Maintenance Tips

After organizing:

markdown # Organization Complete! ✨

## What Changed

• Created X] new folders
• Organized Y] files
• Freed Z] GB by removing duplicates
• Archived W] old files

## New Structure

Show the new folder tree]

## Maintenance Tips

To keep this organized:

1. Weekly: Sort new downloads
2. Monthly: Review and archive completed projects
3. Quarterly: Check for new duplicates
4. Yearly: Archive old files

## Quick Commands for You

# Find files modified this week

find . -type f -mtime -7

# Sort downloads by type

custom command for their setup]

# Find duplicates

custom command]

Want to organize another folder?

Best Practices

Folder Naming

• Use clear, descriptive names
• Avoid spaces (use hyphens or underscores)
• Be specific: "client-proposals" not "docs"
• Use prefixes for ordering: "01-current", "02-archive"

File Naming

• Include dates: "2024-10-17-meeting-notes.md"
• Be descriptive: "q3-financial-report.xlsx"
• Avoid version numbers in names (use version control instead)
• Remove download artifacts: "document-final-v2 (1).pdf" → "document.pdf"

When to Archive

• Projects not touched in 6+ months
• Completed work that might be referenced later
• Old versions after migration to new systems
• Files you're hesitant to delete (archive first)

Example

User request:

> Organize my Downloads folder into a predictable structure, show the proposed moves first, and avoid deleting files.

Limitations

• Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.
• Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
• Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.