file-organizer

name	file-organizer
description	6. Reduces Clutter: Identifies old files you probably don't need anymore
risk	unknown
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:

   # 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)

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)