Organizing Files Automatically with Python

Categories: Automation, Productivity
Tags: files, organization, os, automation

Hello!
Are you tired of your “Downloads” folder being a complete mess?
With just a few lines of Python, you can automatically sort files into folders based on their type.
This is a perfect small project for everyday productivity.

Step 1: Import Required Modules

import os
import shutil
from pathlib import Path

Step 2: Define File Categories

We can map file extensions to their respective folders. Update or extend this mapping as needed.

FILE_TYPES = {
    "Images": [".jpg", ".jpeg", ".png", ".gif"],
    "Documents": [".pdf", ".docx", ".txt"],
    "Audio": [".mp3", ".wav"],
    "Videos": [".mp4", ".mov", ".avi"]
}

Step 3: Create a Sorting Function

The function below moves files into folders based on their extension. Files with no matching category are skipped.

def organize_files(folder):
    for file in Path(folder).iterdir():
        if file.is_file():
            moved = False
            for category, extensions in FILE_TYPES.items():
                if file.suffix.lower() in extensions:
                    target_folder = Path(folder) / category
                    target_folder.mkdir(exist_ok=True)
                    shutil.move(str(file), target_folder / file.name)
                    print(f"Moved {file.name} → {category}")
                    moved = True
                    break
            if not moved:
                print(f"Skipped {file.name} (no matching category)")

Step 4: Run the Script

Set the downloads variable to the folder you want to organize and call the function.

downloads = str(Path.home() / "Downloads")
organize_files(downloads)

Result

Now, instead of a messy folder full of random files, your Downloads directory will be neatly organized into Images, Documents, Audio, and Videos.

This script can be expanded further:
– Add more categories (e.g., Spreadsheets, Archives)
– Run it on a schedule with cron or Task Scheduler
– Combine with cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox)

A little automation can make your daily computer life much smoother. Try running this script once, and you’ll never want to go back to manual file sorting!