file organizer

---
name: file-organizer
description: "6. Reduces Clutter: Identifies old files you probably don't need anymore"
risk: critical
source: community
date_added: "2026-02-27"
---

# 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:

   ```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

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:

   ```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

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:

   ```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

7. **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.