Introduction

Sift is an open-source CLI for organizing messy directories safely, predictably, and locally.

It can preview changes, classify files, organize nested folders, diagnose risky entries, apply per-folder rules, keep history, undo successful moves, and continuously organize new files with Sift Watch.

preview → understand → apply → undo
                         ↓
                       watch

No cloud required. No AI required. No silent filesystem changes.

What makes Sift different

• Predictable. Classification is deterministic — filenames, extensions, metadata, and explicit rules. The same input always produces the same plan.
• Safe by default. Every command is a dry-run until you add --apply. Existing destinations are never silently overwritten, and directory trees are never automatically merged.
• Explainable. sift explain <file> shows exactly why a file was (or would be) classified, skipped, protected, or moved.
• Reversible where possible. Successful moves are recorded in history and can be undone with sift undo. (Trash-based cleanup isn’t — see Clean.)
• Local-first. Core organization happens entirely on your machine.
• Explicit authorization for automation. Watch only mutates a folder automatically after you pass --auto-apply, and only for files that arrive from that point on.

Deliberately conservative

Sift is careful around important data by design:

• software projects (anything with .git, Cargo.toml, package.json, pyproject.toml, or pubspec.yaml) are protected;
• hidden entries are left alone;
• symlinks are not followed for organization decisions;
• existing destinations are never silently overwritten;
• directory trees are not automatically merged;
• unsafe destination paths are rejected;
• cleanup uses the operating system trash, never permanent deletion;
• live filesystem assumptions are revalidated immediately before mutation.

Where to go next

• Installation to get the sift binary.
• Quick Start for a copy-pasteable tour of the core commands.
• Your First Organize for a walkthrough of one real dry-run → apply → undo cycle.
• Safety Model if you want the full list of guarantees before you point Sift at anything important.