SafeSort AI
SafeSort AI is a local file organization assistant built around a simple rule: show you exactly what it plans to do, then wait for your confirmation before touching anything. It scans a directory, creates a plan, lets you review it, and only runs when you say go. If something looks wrong, you can roll it back.
Most automatic file organizers move or rename things without asking. SafeSort AI is the opposite of that. It is designed for people who have had an auto-organizer misplace something important and want a tool they can actually trust.
Only the apply command can move files, and it refuses to run without a manifest, a backup, and explicit confirmation flags.
Every item gets sorted into one of three tiers
SafeSort AI scans a folder and classifies each item before it ever suggests moving anything.
Locked
Never moved. System paths, secrets, .ssh and .env folders, private keys, and anything referenced by systemd, cron, or scripts.
Review
Needs a human look. Git repos, project folders, Docker configs, mixed content, and folders it cannot confidently classify.
Safe candidate
Eligible for organizing. Loose screenshots, PDFs, media files, and archives sitting in folders like Downloads or Desktop.
Classification is backed by seven safety detectors: active projects, sensitive paths, symlinks, script path references, systemd units, cron jobs, and archives, so it can explain why an item landed in a given tier.
Only one command can move files
scan, plan, manifest, and preflight are read-only. apply is the only command that moves anything, and it requires all of the following before it will touch a file.
- A SafeSort-generated manifest
- All 8 preflight checks passing
- The --backup flag with a backup directory
- The --apply-safe-only flag
- Both --confirm and --i-understand-this-moves-files
- A checksum verified before and after the move
Locked, Review, and anything above low impact never moves automatically, even with those flags set. Rollback restores from the backup if something looks wrong.
CLI examples
From the repo's documented usage.
Why I built this
Organizing files locally sounds simple until you run a tool that moves years of project files into the wrong folders. SafeSort AI started as a way to automate file organization without giving up control. The preview and rollback steps are there because I wanted to use it without worrying about losing something important.
Related tools
SafeSort AI is one of a few local, preview-first tools built the same way.
Get SafeSort AI on GitHub.
SafeSort AI is open source and free. The full source code, installation instructions, usage documentation, and release notes are all in the repository.