Topics

#ai-tools #automation #building-a-second-brain #claude #claude-ai #claude-code #cowork #downloads #file-organization #para-method #personal-knowledge-management #pkm #productivity #second-brain #skill #tiago-forte

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README

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:

| # | 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 |

Full PARA methodology guide →

Two Skills, One Goal

| | Claude Code Skill | Cowork Skill | |---|---|---| | Platform | Terminal / CLI | Claude Desktop app | | Best For | Developers, power users | General users | | Interface | Bash commands | Conversational | | Installation | ~/.claude/skills/ | .skills/skills/ |

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)

Clear remaining inbox items
Archive completed projects
Review areas for relevance
Clean up resource duplicates

File Naming Convention

Format: YYYY-MMCODEdescription.ext

| Before | After | |--------|-------| | Document (3).pdf | 2025-01FINquarterly-report.pdf | | IMG1234.jpg | 2025-01REF_vacation-beach.jpg | | Screenshot 2025-01-13... | 2025-01-13PROJmeeting-notes.png |

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:

| Template | Best For | PARA Focus | |----------|----------|------------| | minimalist.md | Simple organization | Pure 5-folder PARA | | freelancer.md | Consultants | Projects by client | | developer.md | Software engineers | Dev resources | | student.md | Students | Projects by course | | creative.md | Designers | Rich media library | | family.md | Households | Area responsibilities |

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!

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