file-organizer

File Organizer (Claude Code - PARA Method)

Organizes files using the PARA methodology with bash commands. Intelligent categorization and 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

Phase 1: Discovery     → ls, find, file commands to scan and assess
Phase 2: Analysis      → Read file contents for poor names (use Read tool for PDFs)
Phase 3: Triage        → Create categorization table, flag sensitive/scam files
Phase 4: Preparation   → mkdir -p to create PARA structure, get approval
Phase 5: Execution     → mv commands with logging
Phase 6: Cleanup       → Remove empty folders, delete temp files
Phase 7: Completion    → Generate summary, verify PARA folder roots are clean

0-Review Staging Workflow

For large batches of poorly-named files, use a staging folder:

# Create staging folder for files needing content analysis
mkdir -p ~/Downloads/0-Review

# Move cryptic/poorly-named files to review
mv ~/Downloads/U0BPA6*.pdf ~/Downloads/0-Review/
mv ~/Downloads/[0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9].pdf ~/Downloads/0-Review/

# Analyze each file, then move to proper PARA location
# Remove staging folder when empty
rmdir ~/Downloads/0-Review

Quick Start

# 1. Create PARA folder structure
mkdir -p ~/Downloads/{0-Inbox/_REVIEW,1-Projects/{Work,Personal},2-Areas/{Finance,Health,Legal,Career},3-Resources/{Media/{Images,Videos,Audio,Screenshots},Tools/{Installers,Utilities},Learning/{Articles,Books,Courses}},4-Archive/{Completed-Projects,Past-Years},_ORG}

# 2. Scan target directory
find ~/Downloads -maxdepth 1 -type f | wc -l
ls -la ~/Downloads | head -50

# 3. Move files (log each operation)
mv "~/Downloads/file.pdf" "~/Downloads/2-Areas/Finance/"