file-organizer

Original🇺🇸 English
Translated

Triggers on cluttered folders, file chaos, storage cleanup, or directory restructuring needs. TRIGGER WHEN: organizing messy folders (Downloads, Desktop, Documents), finding duplicate files, cleaning up old files, restructuring project directories, separating work from personal files, or automating file cleanup tasks DO NOT TRIGGER WHEN: the task is outside the specific scope of this component.

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NPX Install

npx skill4agent add acaprino/alfio-claude-plugins file-organizer

File Organizer

Instructions

1. Understand Scope

Ask clarifying questions before starting:
  • Which directory needs organization?
  • Main problem? (can't find things, duplicates, no structure, general mess)
  • Files or folders to avoid? (active projects, sensitive data)
  • How aggressive? (conservative vs comprehensive cleanup)
For broad reorganization, briefly propose a philosophy from the reference guide (PARA, Johnny Decimal, GTD, 7-Folder). Let user choose - never force one. Skip for scoped tasks like cleaning Downloads.

2. Analyze Current State

bash
ls -la [target_directory]
find [target_directory] -type f -exec file {} \; | head -20
du -sh [target_directory]/* | sort -rh | head -20
find [target_directory] -type f | sed 's/.*\.//' | sort | uniq -c | sort -rn
Summarize: total files/folders, type breakdown, size distribution, date ranges, obvious issues.
Anti-patterns to flag:
  • Desktop used as permanent archive (goal: zero permanent files on Desktop)
  • Unnamed folders (
    New Folder
    ,
    New Folder (3)
    )
  • Broken versioning (
    document_FINAL_v2_DEFINITIVE_copy.docx
    )
  • Downloads folder never cleaned (thousands of unsorted files)
  • Same file duplicated across locations (use shortcuts instead)

3. Identify Organization Patterns

By type:
  • Documents (PDF, DOCX, TXT), Images (JPG, PNG, SVG), Videos (MP4, MOV)
  • Archives (ZIP, TAR, DMG), Code/Projects, Spreadsheets (XLSX, CSV), Presentations (PPTX, KEY)
By purpose:
  • Work vs Personal, Active vs Archive, Project-specific, Reference, Temporary/scratch
By date:
  • Current year/month, Previous years, Very old (archive candidates)
Context-specific structures:
  • Photos/Video:
    Year/YYYY-MM_event-location/
    with RAW, Edited, Export subfolders
  • Music:
    Artist/[Year] Album/NN - Track.ext
  • Work projects: numbered prefixes (
    01_Brief/
    ,
    02_Research/
    ,
    03_Assets/
    ,
    04_Deliverables/
    ) with WIP/FINAL_APPROVED separation
  • Finance/personal docs: include expiry dates in filenames (
    passport_exp_2030.pdf
    ), organize by year then type
  • Code: map local paths to remote URLs (
    github.com/username/repo/
    )
See
references/organization-guide.md
for detailed templates.

4. Find Duplicates

When requested:
bash
find [directory] -type f -exec md5 {} \; | sort | uniq -d
find [directory] -type f -printf '%f\n' | sort | uniq -d
For each duplicate set: show paths, sizes, dates, recommend which to keep. ALWAYS confirm before deleting. Suggest shortcuts/aliases instead of keeping copies.

5. Propose Organization Plan

Present plan before making changes. Include:
  • Current state summary (file count, size, type breakdown, problems found)
  • Anti-patterns detected
  • Proposed folder tree structure
  • Changes to make: new folders, file moves, renames, deletions
  • Files needing user decision (ambiguous placement)
  • Ask for explicit approval before proceeding

6. Execute Organization

After approval, organize systematically.
Rules:
  • Always confirm before deleting anything
  • Log all moves for potential undo
  • Preserve original modification dates
  • Handle filename conflicts gracefully
  • Stop and ask on unexpected situations
File renaming conventions (only when user agrees - never auto-rename):
  • ISO dates:
    YYYY-MM-DD
    for correct alphabetical sort
  • Formula:
    [Date]_[Context]_[Description]_[Version].ext
  • Zero-padded versions:
    v01
    ,
    v02
    (minor:
    v01.1
    )
  • Separators:
    kebab-case
    or
    snake_case
    (never spaces)
  • All lowercase, filenames under 25-30 chars, let folder context provide the rest
  • Zero-pad sequences:
    001
    ,
    002
    (prevents
    1, 10, 11, 2
    sort)
  • Status prefixes when useful:
    WIP_
    ,
    DRAFT_
    ,
    REVIEW_
    ,
    APPROVED_
  • Avoid:
    < > : " / \ | ? *
    , accents, emoji, leading dots, Windows reserved names (
    CON
    ,
    PRN
    ,
    AUX
    ,
    NUL
    )
  • Watch full path length approaching Windows 260-character limit

7. Provide Summary

After organizing, report:
  • Folders created, files organized, space freed, anti-patterns fixed
  • New folder tree structure
  • Maintenance schedule (below)
  • Custom bash commands for ongoing cleanup
Maintenance Schedule:
FrequencyTimeTasks
Weekly15 minEmpty Downloads, process Inbox to zero, verify recent files are in place
Monthly45 minScan for duplicates, verify backups, archive completed projects
Quarterly2 hrsDisk space audit, archive projects inactive 3+ months, test backup restore
YearlyHalf dayDisaster recovery test, retention policy review, structure update