Organising files

Teaching a folder to clean itself

Updated 2026-08-08 · 5 min read

Hazel is a rule engine for folders: when a file matching X appears, do Y. Its best use is the Downloads folder, where four rules quietly end the mess that manual filing never keeps up with.

The shape of a rule

Hazel (from Noodlesoft, paid, with a trial) attaches rules to folders. A rule is conditions plus actions: *if name contains "invoice" and kind is PDF → move to ~/Documents/Invoices, rename with date*. Rules run automatically as files appear, which is the entire point — the filing happens whether or not you are paying attention.

A starter set for Downloads

1. Installers expire. Kind is disk image, date added over 2 weeks ago →

Trash. DMGs are packaging; two weeks is generous.

1. Invoices file themselves. Contents contain "invoice" or "receipt", kind

is PDF → move to Invoices, rename 2026-08-08 name. Hazel reads PDF text for content matches, which catches badly-named scans.

1. Screenshots relocate. Name starts with "Screenshot" → move to

~/Pictures/Screenshots, sorted into subfolders by year.

1. The archive net. Anything untouched for 60 days → move to

Downloads/Archive. The folder stays shallow without deleting anything.

Notes from actual use

• Preview before trusting. Each rule's preview shows which existing files

match. Run a new rule against reality before letting it act.

• Order matters. Rules evaluate top to bottom, first match wins per file.

Specific rules above general nets.

• Date added beats date created for Downloads logic — created dates arrive

with the file and lie about when you got it.

• Trash rules deserve conservatism. Moving to an Archive folder loses

nothing; automation that deletes should earn trust first.

Where Hazel stops

Hazel acts on files arriving in watched folders. It does not search the disk, and it cannot retroactively organise the existing archive without being pointed at each folder. The pairing that works: a search pass (by name, content, date) to gather the backlog once, then Hazel keeps the future tidy from day one.

Common questions

Is Hazel worth it over Shortcuts or Automator?

Shortcuts can watch folders with effort; Hazel's condition system — content matching, date logic, previews — is years ahead for file rules specifically. For simple moves, Shortcuts may suffice.

Can Hazel organise files already scattered across my disk?

Only folder by folder. Gather the backlog with search first; Hazel then maintains the folders it watches.