| name | file-organizer |
| description | Organize files using the PARA method (Building a Second Brain). Intelligent categorization into Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archive with inbox workflow. Triggers on "organize my files", "organize my downloads", "second brain", "PARA method", "clean up files", "declutter". Creates numbered PARA folders (0-Inbox, 1-Projects, 2-Areas, 3-Resources, 4-Archive), renames poorly-named files, and maintains complete audit trails. |
File Organizer (PARA Method)
Organizes files using the PARA methodology from "Building a Second Brain" by Tiago Forte. Intelligent categorization with inbox workflow and complete audit trails.
What is PARA?
| # | Category | Contains | Lifespan |
|---|
| 0 | Inbox | New files awaiting processing | Temporary |
| 1 | Projects | Active work with deadlines | Short-term |
| 2 | Areas | Ongoing responsibilities | Long-term |
| 3 | Resources | Reference materials by topic | Evergreen |
| 4 | Archive | Inactive/completed items | Preserved |
Workflow Overview
Phase 1: Discovery → Scan, count, assess filename quality
Phase 2: Analysis → Read file contents for poor names, propose renames
Phase 3: Preparation → Create PARA folder structure, get user approval
Phase 4: Execution → Rename and move files (with logging)
Phase 5: Completion → Generate summary, prompt inbox review
Quick Start
- Create
_ORG/ folder in target directory
- Initialize tracking files from references/templates.md
- Customize references/config.md for your needs
- Execute phases with user approval checkpoints
Folder Structure (PARA Method)
Target-Directory/
├── 0-Inbox/ # New files land here first
│ └── _REVIEW/ # Files needing manual attention
├── 1-Projects/ # Active work with deadlines
│ ├── Work/
│ └── Personal/
├── 2-Areas/ # Ongoing responsibilities
│ ├── Finance/
│ ├── Health/
│ ├── Legal/
│ └── Career/
├── 3-Resources/ # Reference materials by topic
│ ├── Media/
│ │ ├── Images/
│ │ ├── Videos/
│ │ ├── Audio/
│ │ └── Screenshots/
│ ├── Tools/
│ │ ├── Installers/
│ │ └── Utilities/
│ └── Learning/
│ ├── Articles/
│ ├── Books/
│ └── Courses/
├── 4-Archive/ # Inactive/completed items
│ ├── Completed-Projects/
│ └── Past-Years/
└── _ORG/ # Organization tracking files
├── _PLAN.md
├── _LOG.md
└── _MANIFEST.md
Inbox Review Workflow
Daily Quick Review (5 minutes)
Process files in 0-Inbox/ by asking:
- Is this actionable with a deadline? → Move to
1-Projects/
- Is this an ongoing responsibility? → Move to
2-Areas/
- Is this useful reference material? → Move to
3-Resources/
- Is this completed/inactive? → Move to
4-Archive/
- None of the above? → Delete or keep in Inbox
Weekly Deep Review (15 minutes)
- Clear remaining items in
0-Inbox/
- Check
1-Projects/ for completed projects → Archive
- Review
2-Areas/ for items no longer relevant → Archive
- Clean up
3-Resources/ duplicates
- Organize
4-Archive/ by year/category
File Naming Convention
Format: [DATE]_[CODE]_[DESCRIPTION].[ext]
| Component | Format | Example |
|---|
| Date | YYYY-MM-DD, YYYY-MM, or YYYY | 2025-01-13 |
| Code | PARA category code | PROJ, FIN, REF |
| Description | lowercase-with-hyphens | quarterly-report |
Example: 2025-01_PROJ_website-mockup.pdf
PARA Category Codes
| Code | Category | Use For |
|---|
| PROJ | 1-Projects | Active project files |
| FIN | 2-Areas/Finance | Financial documents |
| HEALTH | 2-Areas/Health | Medical records |
| LEGAL | 2-Areas/Legal | Contracts, agreements |
| REF | 3-Resources | General reference |
| LEARN | 3-Resources/Learning | Educational materials |
Content Analysis Triggers
Analyze file contents when filename matches:
- Generic:
Document*.pdf, Untitled*, Copy of *
- Camera:
IMG_####.*, DSC_####.*, scan####.*
- Screenshots:
Screenshot *, Screen Shot *
- Ambiguous:
notes.*, report.*, data.*, export.*
Do NOT rename: Software installers (.dmg, .exe, .pkg), files with version hashes
Approval Checkpoints
Required user approval before:
- Executing any renames
- Moving files to destinations
- Handling sensitive files (financial, medical, legal in 2-Areas)
Never delete files without explicit user confirmation.
Logging Requirements
Update tracking files in real-time:
_PLAN.md: Task checklist with timestamps
- ⬜ Not started → 🔄 In progress → ✅ Complete
_LOG.md: Action journal with entries:
### [TIMESTAMP] - [ACTION TYPE]
**Task**: [Reference to plan]
**Action**: [What was done]
**Result**: [Outcome]
**Next**: [Next step]
_MANIFEST.md: File operations audit trail
- Every rename and move logged with timestamps
- Enables rollback if needed
Reference Files
- references/config.md: Customizable PARA structure and detection keywords
- references/templates.md: Blank templates for _PLAN.md, _LOG.md, _MANIFEST.md
Session Resumption
If session is interrupted:
- Read
_LOG.md to find last completed action
- Read
_PLAN.md to find next incomplete task
- Log:
### [TIME] - SESSION ... Resuming interrupted session
- Continue from that point
