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Clean Up Desktop

Cleaning up your desktop means taking the scattered collection of files, screenshots, downloads, and shortcuts that accumulate on your main screen and organizing them into a logical folder structure. Most people use their desktop as a quick-access dumping ground — saving files there for convenience and never moving them. Over time this creates a chaotic wall of icons that makes it harder to find anything and slows down your workflow. A desktop cleanup sorts these files into meaningful categories, archives anything you have not touched in months, and leaves you with a clear workspace where every item has a proper home.

Last updated: 3/22/2026
3 prompts included

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Prompts

Quick Desktop Sweep by Type

Sort all files on my desktop by file type. Put screenshots and images (PNG, JPG, JPEG, GIF, WEBP, HEIC, SVG) into Images. Put documents (PDF, DOCX, DOC, TXT, RTF, PAGES) into Documents. Put spreadsheets and data files (XLSX, XLS, CSV, NUMBERS) into Spreadsheets. Put presentations (PPTX, PPT, KEY) into Presentations. Put videos and screen recordings (MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI) into Videos. Put audio files (MP3, WAV, M4A, AIFF) into Audio. Put compressed archives (ZIP, RAR, TAR, GZ, 7Z, DMG) into Archives. Put code and scripts (PY, JS, HTML, CSS, JSON, SH, SQL) into Code. Put everything else into Misc.
Expected result: Every file on the desktop is moved into one of nine clearly labeled subfolders based on its type. The desktop itself is left clean with only the new category folders visible.
Folder structure after:
Desktop/
  Images/
    screenshot-2026-03-14.png
    vacation-photo.jpg
    logo-draft-v2.svg
    app-mockup.heic
  Documents/
    tax-return-2025.pdf
    meeting-notes.docx
    cover-letter-final.txt
    lease-agreement.pdf
  Spreadsheets/
    budget-2026.xlsx
    contacts-export.csv
    expense-tracker.numbers
  Presentations/
    quarterly-review.pptx
    pitch-deck-v3.key
  Videos/
    screen-recording-2026-03-10.mov
    product-demo.mp4
  Audio/
    voice-memo-interview.m4a
    podcast-intro.mp3
  Archives/
    project-assets.zip
    fonts-bundle.dmg
    backup-march.tar.gz
  Code/
    scrape-data.py
    config.json
    index.html
  Misc/
    random-note.webloc
    app-shortcut.lnk

Archive Old Desktop Files by Date

Look at the last modified date of every file on my desktop. Move files older than 90 days into an Archive folder, organized by year and month. For example, a file last modified in January 2026 goes into Archive/2026/January. Files last modified in December 2025 go into Archive/2025/December. Leave files modified within the last 90 days on the desktop untouched.
Expected result: Stale files that have not been touched in over three months are swept into a date-based archive structure, while recent and actively used files remain on the desktop for easy access.
Folder structure after:
Desktop/
  Archive/
    2025/
      September/
        old-resume-draft.docx
        event-flyer.pdf
      October/
        halloween-party-invite.png
        quarterly-report-q3.xlsx
      November/
        travel-itinerary.pdf
        conference-notes.txt
      December/
        holiday-card-design.psd
        year-end-summary.docx
        budget-template.xlsx
    2026/
      January/
        new-years-goals.txt
        invoice-jan-001.pdf
  project-proposal.pdf
  screenshot-2026-03-18.png
  weekly-standup-notes.docx
  expense-report-march.csv
  design-feedback.fig

Smart Desktop Categorization

Organize my desktop files into folders based on what they are about, not just their file type. Group work-related documents, spreadsheets, and presentations together into a Work folder. Put personal files like photos, recipes, travel plans, and personal finance documents into Personal. Put anything related to a specific project — if filenames mention a client name, project name, or ticket number — into Projects with subfolders by project. Put screenshots and screen recordings into Screenshots. Put installers, DMGs, and setup files into Installers (I probably don't need these anymore). Put everything else into To Review so I can decide later.
Expected result: Files are grouped by purpose and context rather than extension alone. Work materials are consolidated regardless of format, personal items are separated out, identifiable project files are clustered together, and a To Review folder catches anything ambiguous.
Folder structure after:
Desktop/
  Work/
    q1-roadmap.pptx
    team-org-chart.pdf
    performance-review-notes.docx
    sales-pipeline.xlsx
    onboarding-checklist.txt
  Personal/
    passport-scan.pdf
    sourdough-recipe.txt
    flight-confirmation-cancun.pdf
    family-photo-christmas.jpg
    bank-statement-feb.pdf
  Projects/
    Acme-Redesign/
      acme-wireframes-v2.fig
      acme-brand-guidelines.pdf
      acme-feedback-notes.docx
    Website-Migration/
      migration-checklist.xlsx
      website-migration-timeline.pdf
  Screenshots/
    screenshot-2026-03-12.png
    screenshot-2026-03-19.png
    screen-recording-bug-repro.mov
  Installers/
    figma-setup.dmg
    zoom-update.pkg
    vscode-installer.dmg
  To Review/
    untitled-document.gdoc
    notes.txt
    image-4829.webp

Customization Tips

  • Rename the category folders to match your own naming conventions — for example, use "Docs" instead of "Documents" or "Captures" instead of "Screenshots" if that fits your workflow better.
  • Combine the date-based archive prompt with the type-based sweep: first archive anything older than 90 days, then sort the remaining recent files by type for a two-pass cleanup.
  • Add client or project names to the smart categorization prompt to make project detection more accurate. The more specific you are ("files mentioning Acme, acme, or ACME-"), the better the grouping.
  • If you save a lot of web clippings or bookmarks to your desktop, add a dedicated "Web Clippings" or "Reading List" folder to any of these prompts to keep them separate from real documents.
  • Adjust the 90-day threshold in the archive prompt to match how you work. If your desktop turns over quickly, try 30 days. If you reference older files often, extend it to 180 days.

Troubleshooting

Problem:

Screenshots are landing in Images instead of Screenshots.

Solution:

Make sure your prompt explicitly mentions screenshot files before the general images rule. Sortio applies the first matching rule, so more specific instructions should come first.

Steps:

  1. 1Review your prompt ordering to ensure screenshot rules appear before image rules.
  2. 2Re-run the sort with the updated prompt.

Problem:

Project files are not being grouped together.

Solution:

Check that the filenames actually contain the project or client name.

Steps:

  1. 1Review filenames for project or client identifiers.
  2. 2Files with generic names like "notes.txt" or "report.pdf" lack context for automatic detection.
  3. 3Rename ambiguous files or move them manually.

Problem:

The date-based archive is not moving old files.

Solution:

Verify that the files have accurate last-modified dates.

Steps:

  1. 1Check file dates in Finder or Terminal.
  2. 2Files copied from external drives or downloaded from cloud storage may have their dates reset to the transfer date.
  3. 3Consider using creation date instead of modification date in your prompt.

Problem:

The Misc or To Review folder ends up with too many files.

Solution:

Review its contents and add more specific rules to your prompt.

Steps:

  1. 1Examine the catch-all folder contents for patterns.
  2. 2Add one or two more categories to cover the most common uncategorized files.
  3. 3Re-run the sort with the refined prompt.

Problem:

Application aliases or symlinks are being sorted along with regular files.

Solution:

Exclude them in your prompt by adding "Leave application shortcuts and aliases in place on the desktop."

Steps:

  1. 1Add an exclusion rule to your prompt for aliases and symlinks.
  2. 2Re-run the sort.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will cleaning up my desktop affect app shortcuts or pinned items?

Sortio only moves actual files. Application shortcuts, aliases, and pinned items are typically left in place unless your prompt explicitly tells Sortio to move them. If you want to be safe, add "Leave application shortcuts and aliases on the desktop" to your prompt.

How often should I run a desktop cleanup?

Most people find that running a desktop sweep once a week keeps things manageable. If you save a lot of files to your desktop daily, a quick sweep every two to three days prevents buildup. The sort itself only takes a few seconds, so there is no reason to let it pile up.

Can I undo a desktop sort if files end up in the wrong place?

Sortio keeps a history of moves, so you can undo a sort if the results are not what you expected. It is also a good idea to run your prompt on a small batch of test files first to make sure the rules work before sorting your entire desktop.

What happens to files already in subfolders on my desktop?

By default, Sortio processes files at the top level of the folder you point it at. Files already organized inside subfolders on your desktop are not moved unless your prompt specifically asks Sortio to look inside nested folders.

Is this different from just using Stacks on macOS?

macOS Stacks groups desktop icons visually by type or date, but the files stay in the same flat directory. Sortio actually moves files into real folders with a structure you define, which means the organization persists in Finder, Terminal, and any app that browses your filesystem — not just the desktop view.

Related Glossary Terms

desktop organizationdeclutter desktop macclean desktop windowsdesktop file managementorganize desktop iconsdesktop zerofile sweepautomatic desktop cleanupsort desktop filestidy desktop folder

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