Smart Downloads Organizer
Intelligently organize your Downloads folder by analyzing file content, not just extensions. Claude reads files to categorize them meaningfully.
Your Downloads folder has 2,000 files named document(37).pdf and setup_final_FINAL.exe because everything just piles up there. This playbook intelligently organizes downloads by analyzing file content — not just extensions — to categorize and rename files meaningfully.
Who it's for: professionals whose Downloads folder has become an unsearchable dumping ground, remote workers accumulating meeting recordings and shared documents without organization, students with semesters of downloaded PDFs and lecture materials in one folder, freelancers managing client deliverables and reference files from multiple projects, anyone who downloads files frequently and never gets around to organizing them
Example
"Organize my 1,500-file Downloads folder into something usable" → Downloads organizer pipeline: file content analysis reading PDFs, images, and document metadata, intelligent categorization (invoices, receipts, presentations, installers, media), meaningful rename based on detected content and dates, duplicate file detection and removal, and organized folder structure with categorized subfolders
New here? 3-minute setup guide → | Already set up? Copy the template below.
# Smart Downloads Organizer
## Your Role
You are my personal file organization assistant. You analyze files by their CONTENT, not just their extension, to organize them meaningfully.
## Organization Rules
### By Content Type
Analyze each file and sort into these categories:
- **Finance/** - Invoices, receipts, bank statements, tax documents
- **Work/** - Work-related documents, reports, presentations
- **Personal/** - Personal documents, IDs, certificates
- **Recipes/** - Food recipes, cooking guides
- **Reading/** - Articles, ebooks, PDFs to read later
- **Images/Photos/** - Personal photos, screenshots of memories
- **Images/Screenshots/** - App screenshots, error messages, UI captures
- **Images/Memes/** - Memes, funny images
- **Reference/** - Manuals, guides, documentation
- **Projects/** - Project files, assets, resources
- **Media/Videos/** - Video files
- **Media/Audio/** - Music, podcasts, audio files
- **Archives/** - Compressed files (.zip, .rar, etc.)
- **Installers/** - .dmg, .exe, .pkg files
- **Unsorted/** - Anything that doesn't fit elsewhere
### Naming Convention
When helpful, rename files to be more descriptive:
- Invoices: `YYYY-MM-DD_Vendor_Invoice.pdf`
- Receipts: `YYYY-MM-DD_Store_Receipt.pdf`
- Screenshots: Keep original if timestamped, otherwise `YYYY-MM-DD_Description.png`
## Instructions
1. First, list all files and show me your categorization plan
2. Wait for my approval before moving anything
3. Create folders only as needed
4. Move files to appropriate folders
5. Report a summary when done
## Safety Rules
- NEVER delete any files
- ASK before renaming files
- Skip files that are currently in use
- Preserve original file metadata
## Analysis Approach
For each file:
1. Check the file extension first
2. If it's a document (PDF, DOC, TXT), read the content
3. If it's an image, analyze what it shows
4. Consider the filename for additional context
5. Categorize based on the combination of all signals
## Output Format
Present your plan as a table:
| File | Destination | Reason |
|------|-------------|--------|
| example.pdf | Finance/ | Invoice from Amazon |
| IMG_1234.jpg | Images/Photos/ | Family photo with EXIF date |
Then wait for approval before executing.
What This Does
Unlike basic file organizers that only look at extensions, this playbook analyzes file contents to organize intelligently. A PDF recipe goes to Recipes/, while a PDF invoice goes to Finance/.
Quick Start
Step 1: Download the Template
Click the Download button above to get the CLAUDE.md file.
Step 2: Place in Downloads
mv ~/Downloads/CLAUDE.md ~/Downloads/
Step 3: Run Claude Code
cd ~/Downloads
claude
Then say: "Analyze my downloads and show me how you'd organize them"
Step 4: Review & Approve
Claude will show you a table of proposed moves. Review it, then say "Go ahead" to execute.
Example Output
| File | Destination | Reason |
|---------------------|------------------|----------------------------------|
| IMG_2847.jpg | Images/Photos/ | Family photo with EXIF metadata |
| amazon-order.pdf | Finance/ | Amazon invoice detected |
| recipe-pasta.pdf | Recipes/ | Contains ingredients list |
| screenshot-2026.png | Images/Screenshots/ | App interface screenshot |
| quarterly.xlsx | Work/ | Financial data and charts |
Default Categories
The template organizes into these folders:
| Category | What Goes Here |
|---|---|
| Finance/ | Invoices, receipts, bank statements |
| Work/ | Reports, presentations, work docs |
| Recipes/ | Food recipes, cooking guides |
| Reading/ | Articles, ebooks, PDFs to read |
| Images/Photos/ | Personal photos |
| Images/Screenshots/ | App screenshots, UI captures |
| Reference/ | Manuals, guides, documentation |
| Archives/ | .zip, .rar files |
| Installers/ | .dmg, .exe, .pkg files |
Tips
- Always preview first: Start with "show me what you'd do" before moving anything
- Customize categories: Edit the CLAUDE.md to match your workflow
- Run weekly: Make it a Sunday habit to keep Downloads clean
- Skip in-use files: Claude won't touch files that are currently open
Customization Ideas
Add Project Detection
## Project Detection
Group related files (same name pattern, similar dates) into Projects/[Name]/
Add Date-Based Sorting
## Date Sorting
For photos, create year/month subfolders: Images/2026/01/
Troubleshooting
Too many files in Unsorted/ Add more specific categories to CLAUDE.md for your common file types
Claude wants to move a file I'm using Say "Skip [filename], I'm using it"
Slow on large folders Process in batches: "Organize files from the last 7 days"