file-organizer

name	file-organizer
description	Intelligently organizes files and folders by understanding context, finding duplicates, and suggesting better organizational structures. Use when user wants to clean up directories, organize downlo...
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)

4. 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

5. 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)
   

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
   • 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)