File Organizer Skills for Claude Code & Cowork

AI-powered file organization using the PARA method from "Building a Second Brain." Intelligent categorization into Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archive with inbox workflow.

What Is This?

This repository contains skills (reusable instruction sets) that teach Claude how to organize files using the PARA methodology. Point Claude at any messy directory and it will:

• Categorize files into Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archive
• Propose smart renames for Document(3).pdf and IMG_1234.jpg
• Guide you through daily/weekly inbox reviews
• Keep a complete audit trail for rollback

Works on any directory - Downloads, Desktop, project folders, or anywhere files accumulate.

Why I Built This

Like most people, my Downloads folder had become a graveyard of forgotten files - Document (3).pdf, IMG_1234.jpg, Screenshot 2024-01-15.... I tried manual cleanup (never finished), traditional organizers (couldn't understand context), and AI assistants (couldn't access my actual files).

The problem? Every tool treated organization as one-size-fits-all. But my files aren't generic - client projects, personal receipts, research articles, and family photos all mixed together.

The solution: An AI agent that learns your structure, reads file contents to understand what they actually are, asks before acting, and keeps complete logs. In my first run, it organized 81 files in 45 minutes - finding forgotten flight receipts, surfacing an investor deck hiding as a screenshot, and flagging duplicates.

Read the full story →

What is PARA?

PARA is an organizational system from Building a Second Brain by Tiago Forte:

Full PARA methodology guide →

Two Skills, One Goal

Claude Code Skill

For users of Claude Code - Anthropic's CLI tool.

# Install
git clone https://github.com/smithjoshua/claude-code-cowork-skills-file-organizer.git
cp -r claude-code-cowork-skills-file-organizer/claude-code-skill ~/.claude/skills/file-organizer

# Use
claude
> Organize my ~/Downloads folder using PARA
> Help me do a weekly review

Full Claude Code skill documentation →

Cowork Skill

For users of Cowork (Claude Desktop).

# Install
git clone https://github.com/smithjoshua/claude-code-cowork-skills-file-organizer.git
cp -r claude-code-cowork-skills-file-organizer/cowork-skill ~/.skills/skills/file-organizer

# Use in Cowork
# "Organize my downloads with PARA"
# "Help me process my inbox"

Full Cowork skill documentation →

Folder Structure (PARA Method)

Both skills create this structure:

Target-Directory/
├── 0-Inbox/                 # New files awaiting processing
│   └── _REVIEW/             # Files needing manual attention
├── 1-Projects/              # Active work with deadlines
│   ├── Work/
│   └── Personal/
├── 2-Areas/                 # Ongoing responsibilities
│   ├── Finance/
│   ├── Health/
│   └── Legal/
├── 3-Resources/             # Reference materials by topic
│   ├── Media/               # Images, videos, audio
│   ├── Tools/               # Software, installers
│   └── Learning/            # Articles, books, courses
├── 4-Archive/               # Inactive/completed items
└── _ORG/                    # Tracking files (log, manifest)

Inbox Workflow

The key to PARA is regular inbox processing. New files land in 0-Inbox/ and get sorted during review sessions.

Daily Review (5 min)

For each file in 0-Inbox/, ask:

Is this actionable?        → 1-Projects
Ongoing responsibility?    → 2-Areas
Reference material?        → 3-Resources
Completed/inactive?        → 4-Archive
None of the above?         → Delete

Weekly Review (15 min)

1. Clear remaining inbox items
2. Archive completed projects
3. Review areas for relevance
4. Clean up resource duplicates

File Naming Convention

Format: YYYY-MM_CODE_description.ext

Safety First

• Never deletes files - only moves them
• Approval required - for all renames and sensitive files
• Complete audit trail - undo any operation via _ORG/_MANIFEST.md
• Uncertain files - go to 0-Inbox/_REVIEW/ for manual sorting
• Sensitive detection - flags financial, medical, legal docs

Customization

Preset Templates

All templates use the PARA methodology. Choose a starting point in /templates:

Custom Configuration

Edit references/config.md in your installed skill to define:

• Your PARA folder structure
• Project/client codes
• Detection keywords for auto-categorization
• Inbox workflow prompts

Full customization guide →

Requirements

Claude Code:

• Claude Code CLI installed
• Terminal access
• Optional: pdftotext, exiftool for enhanced content analysis

Cowork:

• Claude Desktop with Cowork enabled
• Skills folder configured

Contributing

Contributions welcome! See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.

Ideas:

• Additional PARA templates
• Language/locale support
• Cloud storage integration
• Enhanced content analysis

Roadmap

See ROADMAP.md for planned features including:

• Undo command
• Cloud storage support (Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud)
• Scheduled organization
• Custom rules engine

About PARA

This project implements the PARA Method from Building a Second Brain by Tiago Forte. PARA (Projects, Areas, Resources, Archive) is a universal organizational system used by thousands for personal knowledge management (PKM).

License

MIT License - see LICENSE

Built for the Claude AI ecosystem by Joshua Smith

If this helped you build your second brain, please star the repo!