Claude Cowork Desktop Cleaner

Use Claude Cowork to automatically organize cluttered desktop and downloads folders. One of the most popular Anthropic cowork use cases.

Basic Prompt

Quick downloads folder cleanup:

Please organize my "Downloads" folder:

1. Create category folders:
   - Documents (.pdf, .doc, .docx, .txt, .md)
   - Images (.jpg, .png, .gif, .svg, .webp)
   - Videos (.mp4, .mov, .avi)
   - Archives (.zip, .rar, .7z, .tar.gz)
   - Installers (.dmg, .pkg, .exe)
   - Other

2. Move files to corresponding categories

3. Generate report "cleanup_log.txt" with:
   - Total file count
   - Files per category
   - Processing date/time

Please tell me how many files need organizing, then wait for confirmation.

Advanced Prompt

With date classification and duplicate detection:

Deep organize "Downloads":

**Step 1: Classify**
Create main folders:
- 📄 Documents  
- 🖼 Images
- 📦 Installers
- 🗜 Archives
- 💻 Code Files

**Step 2: Date Archive**
Within Documents and Images, create year-month subfolders based on file date

**Step 3: Smart Rename**
For screenshots (names contain "Screenshot" or "Screen Shot"):
- Rename to: "screenshot_[date]_[number].png"

**Step 4: Duplicate Detection**
- Scan for identical file sizes
- Create "possible_duplicates" folder
- List duplicate pairs in report

Report after each step and wait for confirmation.

Desktop Cleanup

For macOS desktop specifically:

Organize my Desktop (~/Desktop):

**Keep on Desktop:**
- Files with "important" or "urgent" in name
- Files created today or yesterday

**Archive:**
1. Create "Desktop_Archive_[date]" folder
2. Move other files by type:
   - Screenshots -> Archive/Screenshots/
   - Extracted folders -> Archive/Temp/
   - Images -> Archive/Images/

**Safety:**
- Don't move .app applications
- Put uncertain files in "To Review" folder

Generate report of moved files.

Tips

Before Use

1. Create backup: Use Time Machine or manual copy
2. Close other programs: Avoid file locks
3. Test first: Try prompt on small folder

During Execution

1. Step confirmation: Have Claude Cowork report each step
2. Check reports: Review generated log files
3. Spot check: Verify a few files are correctly categorized

Safety

• ⚠️ Never auto-delete without review
• ⚠️ Keep sensitive files in folders Claude Cowork can't access
• ⚠️ Backup before large operations

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Related:

• Return Home
• Claude Cowork Introduction
• Best Practices