file-organizer

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)

2. Analyze Current State

   Review the target directory:

   # 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

3. 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)

4. Find Duplicates

   When requested, search for duplicates:

   # Find exact duplicates by hash
   find [directory] -type f -exec shasum -a 256 {} \;
   

Group by the digest field using a filename-safe script; the full output line includes paths.

Identical hashes are candidates: compare bytes and metadata before any removal.

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

5. **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/
3. **Rename files**: [any renaming patterns]
4. **Delete**: [duplicates or trash files]

## Files Needing Your Decision

- [List any files you're unsure about]

Ready to proceed? (yes/no/modify)

6. Execute Organization

   After approval, organize systematically:

   # 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
   • Refuse overwrite by default; show exact source/destination and preserve a reversible move manifest. Do not follow symlinks outside the authorized tree.
   • Handle filename conflicts gracefully
   • Stop and ask if you encounter unexpected situations

7. Provide Summary and Maintenance Tips

   After organizing:

   # 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.