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)

1. 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

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:

   # 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:

   # 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)

1. 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
• Handle filename conflicts gracefully
• Stop and ask if you encounter unexpected situations

1. 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.