Organize files with Codex: what to check before renaming or moving

Start with one folder of similar material, such as event resources or this month's notes. A whole Downloads folder may mix installers, documents and photos that are difficult to organize with one rule.

Prepare copies in a practice folder and connect it to a local project. Here inbox is the source and organized is the result folder. Adapt the request if your folders have different names.

Even when a connected folder is in scope, actual reads and writes depend on permissions. If access fails, check the required path and allowed scope.

Example request: ‘List filenames, relative paths, extensions and sizes inside inbox, including subfolders. Do not move or rename anything yet. List any unreadable files separately.’ Relative paths describe locations within inbox.

Check that the expected files appear. Identical names can be in different subfolders, so compare paths as well as filenames. Decide whether hidden files and shortcuts belong in this task.

Renaming alone does not require reading every file's contents. Request content reads only where needed for classification; this makes the scope easier to explain.

For event photos and notes, choose clear folder names such as photos and notes. A filename can use only needed parts, such as date_topic_number. It is an example, not a universal rule; choose one that fits how you find files.

Example request: ‘Propose YYYY-MM-DD_topic names only where the date is explicit in the filename. If absent or ambiguous, do not guess; mark it for review. Show current path, new path and reason in a table.’

A filesystem modification date is not necessarily the document creation or photo date. Decide which date to use and check whether distinct files would receive the same name.

Check that names do not become too long or contain hard-to-find abbreviations. Apply the rule to a few first, then expand if the result looks right.

Example request: ‘Copy according to the reviewed proposal into organized. Leave the originals in inbox, do not overwrite existing names, and save separate lists of processed and excluded files.’

This exercise organizes copies. If moving or deleting originals is needed, define that scope separately after reviewing the result. Check available storage for large folders.

Ask whether the number of target files equals processed plus excluded files. Check that collisions or read errors were not listed as successes.

If only names and locations changed, contents should remain the same. Ask for per-file comparison of originals and copies and a list of anything not verified. Open a few documents and photos yourself too.

Changing an extension does not convert a format: renaming .txt to .pdf does not make a PDF. Request conversion separately if needed and verify the resulting file opens.

If the result works, record the filename pattern, folder criteria and treatment of ambiguous cases. Rules such as ‘do not guess dates,’ ‘do not overwrite collisions’ and ‘record old and new paths’ may be enough.

Separate duplicate deletion from renaming. Files with identical names or contents may still be needed in two locations. Next time, request duplicate candidates and their evidence for review before asking for deletion.