Shelve

Shelve is a native macOS menu bar application designed to automatically organize the Downloads folder efficiently. Utilizing Swift and SwiftUI, this application eliminates the need for other frameworks such as Python or Electron, providing a seamless integration within the macOS environment.

Key Features

• Auto-classification: Automatically watches the Downloads folder and sorts files into designated subfolders based on customizable rules.
• Smart rules: Easily define matches using file extensions, keywords, or date criteria (for example, files older than a specified number of days).
• Auto-renaming: Customize filenames with features like adding date prefixes, converting to lowercase, replacing spaces, and adding custom prefixes or suffixes.
• Move to Trash option: Create rules that can send files directly to the Trash instead of sorting them, effectively managing outdated files like installers.
• Fast TF-IDF search: Perform efficient full-text searches across all organized files, enabling quick retrieval of documents.
• History mode: Track every move made by Shelve with an easy one-click undo feature, allowing for effortless file management adjustments.
• Setup wizard: The first-launch onboarding process makes configuration quick and simple, getting users started in seconds.
• Liquid Glass UI: The app features a design that adheres to the native macOS 26 design language for an aesthetically pleasing user experience.

How Rules Function

Rules are the backbone of the organization process in Shelve. Each rule can consist of:

• Extensions: Specify file types such as .pdf, .docx.
• Keywords: Match against filenames to determine organization.
• Date conditions: Set parameters like files modified more than 30 days ago.
• Rename steps: Apply a series of renaming operations before a file is moved.
• Move to Trash: Optionally send files to the Trash instead of sorting.

Files are processed if they satisfy any single condition among extensions, keywords, or date criteria, allowing for a flexible and powerful sorting mechanism. Rules are fully editable under the Settings → Rules section.

Configuration

All configurations are stored in ~/Library/Application Support/Shelve/config.json and can be easily modified via the application settings.

With a clear structure and dedicated functionality, Shelve transforms file management on macOS by offering a streamlined approach to organizing downloads.