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FolderTamer Documentation

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Everything you need to get started with FolderTamer. Learn how to organize files automatically, create your first rule, manage watched folders, and use advanced automation features on Windows.

Windows 11 & 10 Beginner-friendly Advanced reference included
Getting Started

Install FolderTamer

FolderTamer is a file organizer for Windows 11 and Windows 10. It can monitor selected folders and automatically organize files according to rules you create.

Getting started with the portable version

  1. 1

    Download FolderTamer

    Download the portable ZIP from the official website.

  2. 2

    Extract the ZIP file

    Right-click the downloaded archive and select Extract All. Choose where you want to keep the application.

  3. 3

    Launch the application

    Open the extracted FolderTamer executable to launch the app.

  4. 4

    Choose your first folder

    Open Watched Folders and choose a folder you want FolderTamer to organize.

Download Portable Version ↓

Create Your First File Automation

An automation is a rule that tells FolderTamer which files to look for and what to do with them. For example, you can automatically move downloaded PDF files into a Documents folder.

Example: Automatically organize PDF downloads

  1. Step 1 — Open Active Automations

    In FolderTamer, select Active Automations from the sidebar and click New Automation.

  2. Step 2 — Choose your watched folder

    Select your Downloads folder. This tells FolderTamer where to look for matching files.

  3. Step 3 — Choose which files to organize

    Add a condition using the visual rule builder.

    File Extension is .pdf

  4. Step 4 — Choose what happens to matching files

    Choose Move to Folder and select the destination where you want your PDF files to go.

  5. Step 5 — Save and enable your automation

    Check the source folder, file condition, and destination. Save your automation and enable it when you are ready.

✓ Your automation is ready

FolderTamer can now monitor your selected folder and move matching PDF files according to your rule.

What Are Watched Folders?

A watched folder is a location that FolderTamer monitors for file changes. You choose which folders to watch and which automation rules apply to them.

Common folders you can organize

📥

Downloads

Sort downloaded documents, images, archives, and installers.

🖥️

Desktop

Organize screenshots and loose files on your desktop.

📄

Documents

Keep invoices, receipts, reports, and other documents in dedicated folders.

Free plan: You can monitor up to two folders and run up to three active automations.

Start with a Ready-Made Recipe

A recipe is a preconfigured automation for a common file organization task. You can use a recipe instead of building a new rule from the beginning.

Using a recipe

  1. Open FolderTamer.
  2. Select 1-Click Recipes from the sidebar.
  3. Choose a recipe that matches your task.
  4. Review the files and folders it will affect.
  5. Enable the recipe when you are ready.
Browse Available Recipes →

Practical File Automation Examples

Here are some everyday file management tasks you can automate on Windows. Each example shows which folder to watch, which files to match, and what action to take.

Organize downloaded PDFs

Free

Automatically move PDF files from Downloads into a folder of your choice.

Watch folder Downloads
Condition File extension is .pdf
Action Move to your chosen Documents folder
View Advanced TamerScript Expression
file.extension == ".pdf"

Sort downloaded images

Free

Keep your downloaded pictures separate from documents and installers.

Watch folder Downloads
Condition File extension is .png
Action Move to your chosen Pictures folder
View Advanced TamerScript Expression
file.extension == ".png"

Organize older downloads

Free

Move files that have not been modified for more than 14 days into an archive folder.

Watch folder Downloads
Condition File age is greater than 14 days
Action Move to your chosen Archive folder
View Advanced TamerScript Expression
file.age > 14d

Organize large PDF files

Pro

Move large PDF documents that have not been modified recently into a separate folder.

Watch folder Downloads
Condition PDF files larger than 50 MB and older than 7 days
Action Move to your chosen Archive folder
View Advanced TamerScript Expression
file.extension == ".pdf" and file.size > 50MB and file.age > 7d

View Your Automation History

FolderTamer records file operations in its local history. You can review what happened and reverse supported operations when necessary.

How to undo a file move or rename

  1. Open FolderTamer.
  2. Go to Audit & Rollback.
  3. Find the operation you want to reverse.
  4. Choose the available rollback option.
  5. Review the result in your file system.

Undo is available for supported operations, including logged file moves and renames. Permanently deleted files cannot be restored through FolderTamer's rollback feature.

Keep Your Files Safe

FolderTamer can perform file operations automatically, so it is important to configure your rules carefully.

Before enabling an automation

  • ✓ Start with a small test folder containing files you can safely reorganize.
  • ✓ Review your file conditions to make sure the rule matches only the intended files.
  • ✓ Confirm that the destination folder is correct before enabling a move rule.
  • ✓ Keep backups of important documents before running bulk automations.
  • ✓ Use the Recycle Bin instead of permanent deletion when you may need to recover files.

Free vs. Pro Features

FolderTamer includes a permanent Free plan and an optional Pro Lifetime upgrade.

Feature Free Pro
Watched folders Up to 2 Unlimited
Active automations Up to 3 Unlimited
Simple file conditions Included Included
Multiple combined conditions — Included
Starter recipes Included Included
Advanced recipes — Included
Advanced Documentation

More Control When You Need It

The following sections cover FolderTamer's advanced expression language, available file actions, and AI assistant integration. You can use the visual rule builder without learning TamerScript.

TamerScript Expressions

TamerScript is FolderTamer's expression language for matching files according to their properties. Advanced users can write expressions directly instead of using the visual condition builder.

Example: Match PDF files larger than 50 MB

file.extension == ".pdf" and file.size > 50MB

This expression matches PDF files larger than 50 MB. Both conditions must be true for a file to match the rule.

Combining multiple conditions requires FolderTamer Pro.

TamerScript Fields & Operators

Use file properties to specify which files an automation should match.

Common File Properties

Field Meaning Example
file.name Full file name, including extension file.name contains "invoice"
file.extension File extension, including the dot file.extension == ".pdf"
file.size Size of the file file.size > 100MB
file.age Time elapsed since the file was modified file.age > 14d
Comparison Operators

== — Equals

!= — Does not equal

> — Greater than

< — Less than

>= — Greater than or equal to

<= — Less than or equal to

contains — Contains the specified text

startswith — Starts with the specified text

endswith — Ends with the specified text

in — Matches an item in a list

File Size and Time Units

File size

KB — Kilobytes
MB — Megabytes
GB — Gigabytes

file.size > 100MB

File age

m — Minutes
h — Hours
d — Days
w — Weeks

file.age > 7d
Combining Multiple Conditions

Advanced rules can combine multiple conditions using logical operators.

and — Both conditions must match.

or — At least one condition must match.

not — Reverses a condition.

file.extension == ".pdf" and file.age > 7d

Compound conditions require Pro.

Available File Actions

Once a file matches your automation rule, FolderTamer performs the action you configured. The available actions include:

01

Move to Folder

Move a matching file to another folder.

02

Copy to Folder

Create a copy of the file in another location.

03

Rename File

Change a file name using a configured naming pattern.

04

Send to Recycle Bin

Move matching files to the Windows Recycle Bin.

05

Permanently Delete

Delete matching files without sending them to the Recycle Bin.

06

Compress to ZIP

Create a ZIP archive containing the selected files.

07

Extract Archive

Extract a ZIP archive into a destination folder.

08

Open with Default App

Open a matching file using its associated Windows application.

09

Run Script

Run a configured script for matching files.

10

Show Notification

Display a Windows notification when an automation runs.

Advanced actions and multi-action workflows may require FolderTamer Pro. Permanent deletion cannot be undone; review destructive rules carefully before enabling them.

Connect FolderTamer to an AI Assistant

FolderTamer includes an embedded Model Context Protocol (MCP) server. MCP allows compatible AI assistants to interact with supported FolderTamer automation tools.

Getting started with MCP

  1. 1. Launch FolderTamer and open its MCP connection information.
  2. 2. Copy the connection details provided by your installed version of FolderTamer.
  3. 3. Open the MCP configuration settings in your compatible AI client.
  4. 4. Configure the transport and authentication details supported by your client.
  5. 5. Connect to FolderTamer and review the available automation tools.

Important

MCP connection methods can vary between AI clients. Use the endpoint and authentication information provided by your installed FolderTamer version. Do not share local session tokens or grant file automation access to untrusted applications.

Looking for a ready-made solution instead of creating an automation from scratch?

Browse FolderTamer Recipes →