Organize files across your desktop
Grant Cowork access to your cluttered desktop and walk away. It reads your files, figures out what they are, and sorts them into folders while you do something else.
- AuthorAnthropic
- CategoryPersonal
- ModelOpus 4.5
- Features
- ShareCopy link
1
Describe the task
Cowork works directly on your computer. Grant it access to your desktop and it sees the same chaos you do — scattered screenshots, project folders with cryptic names, downloads you never moved. It reads through everything, figures out what each item is, and organizes them into a clean folder structure.
The sorting happens locally while you do something else. Come back to a tidy desktop and a summary of what moved where.
Please help organize my desktop. Evaluate all of the scattered files and organize based on the contents inside of them.
2
Give Claude context
Cowork is a workspace in Claude for desktop that works directly with your local files. Grant it access to your desktop and it navigates and moves files the same way you would — no uploading required.
Required context
To get started:
- Download Claude for desktop and start a Cowork session
- Grant desktop or folder access when prompted
No items found.
Optional context
- Specific folder structure you prefer (by date, by project, by file type)
- Rules for what to keep vs. archive vs. delete
No items found.
3
What Claude creates
Cowork scans your desktop, categorizes each file, and creates a folder structure. You'll see progress updates as it works and a summary of what changed.
From Claude
I'd be happy to help organize your desktop! Let me first take a look at what's currently there.
Running command...
That's quite a cluttered desktop! I can see you have a mix of project folders, screenshots, photos, and documents scattered around. Let me sort through these.
Before: 180+ items scattered across your desktop
After: 5 clean folders
- Screenshots — 19 screenshots
- Photos — 53 photos
- Videos — 18 video files
- Documents — 24 items (notes, CSVs, forms)
- Projects — 75 code project folders
Cleaned up
- Removed 3 empty junk files
- Removed 4 empty folders
- Consolidated backup folders into Documents
Your desktop should now be much easier to navigate!
4
Follow up prompts
Continue the conversation with Claude to refine, expand, or explore further.
Reorganize by your own logic
Apply your own categories instead of the defaults. If you organize by client, by date, or by project phase, tell Cowork and it will restructure.
"Actually, split the Projects folder by language — Python projects in one folder, JavaScript in another, and everything else in misc."
Find something you lost
Cowork remembers what it moved and where. If you're hunting for a file in the new structure, ask.
"Where did that budget spreadsheet end up? I think it was called Q3_budget or something like that."
Create an ongoing system
Set up folder conventions you can maintain. One cleanup helps, but a system keeps things tidy going forward.
"Set up a Downloads folder too, and show me a simple system for where new files should go so this doesn't pile up again."
5
Tricks, tips, and troubleshooting
Your files stay on your computer
Cowork runs locally. It can see and move your files, but nothing gets uploaded anywhere. The organization happens right on your machine, same as if you did it yourself.
Start with one area if you're nervous
If granting full desktop access feels like too much, use "Work in a folder" to point Cowork at just your Downloads or Documents folder first. You can always expand access once you see how it works.
Be specific about what you want to keep
Cowork will ask before deleting anything that looks important, but if you know certain file types are always junk (like .tmp files or duplicate downloads), mention that upfront. The clearer your rules, the more Cowork can do without checking in.
Ready to try for yourself?
The next time your desktop gets cluttered, open Cowork and let it handle the sorting.
