AutoShelf is a macOS app that watches your folders and auto-organizes files. Set a rule once and never think about it again. Free to try, unlock unlimited for $19.99.
Hey Product Hunt! 👋 I'm Orçun, the solo developer behind AutoShelf.
I built AutoShelf because my Downloads folder had become a graveyard of DMGs, screenshots, and random files I swore I'd "clean up later." The existing tools were either powerful but byzantine, or simple but limited. Nothing felt like it was built for this decade of macOS.
So I made AutoShelf: a menu bar app that watches your folders and runs your rules. Set it up in 30 seconds with a template, then forget it exists. What it does: - 🗂 10 conditions: file type, extension, where it came from (download URL or app), age, size, name, last-modified/opened, or just "everything." Combine multiple with AND + NOT. - ⚡ 10 actions, chainable: move, copy, trash, rename, tag, archive to ZIP, optimize images, import to Photos. Stack them in one rule: tag, then archive, then move. - 📋 9 built-in templates: one-click "Organize Downloads," "Auto-trash DMGs," "Clean Desktop," "Sort by Source," and more. - 🌍 19 languages, native SwiftUI, lives in your menu bar (or a full window, your call).
🤖 MCP support (this is the fun part): AutoShelf ships with a full MCP server baked into the app binary, so it works natively with Claude Code, Cursor, opencode, and any other local MCP-compatible client. Point your client at AutoShelf.app/Contents/MacOS/AutoShelf and you get 13 tools: create_rule, edit_rule, delete_rule, enable_rule/disable_rule, run_rule, list_rules, list_groups, get_rule, get_status, pause_monitoring, resume_monitoring, and pick_folder (which pops the native macOS folder picker). So instead of clicking around a UI, you can literally say "watch my Downloads folder and trash any DMG older than 3 days" to Claude or opencode, and it builds and installs the rule for you. Write operations are gated behind a Pro-only toggle that defaults to off, so nothing happens without your say-so.
Why AutoShelf: - Set-and-forget simplicity: templates get you running in seconds, no configuration wizard required - Built for today's macOS, not ported from 2012 - Scriptable end to end: MCP for AI assistants, plus a Go CLI for terminal workflows - One-time $19.99, no subscription.
What's next: - LOT MORE conditions and actions.
- File conversions (HEIC→JPG, MOV→MP4, WAV→MP3) - Cloud uploads: route files to iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive - Scheduled downloads: pull from RSS feeds, URLs, or cloud storage - Rule creation wizard: step-by-step guided flow
the way rules chain together with live previews before saving is a really thoughtful touch. makes it feel less like config and more like actually designing a system.
the MCP server baked into the binary is a smart move, that's a much easier install story than a separate npm package. one thing I'm curious about: if two rules both match the same file (say one moves it and another renames+archives it), what decides execution order? and can a rule created through the MCP tool by an AI client end up conflicting with one a human set up in the UI, or does it validate against existing rules before creating a new one?
On execution order: rules run top to bottom in your list. First match wins, only one rule acts on a file, so no conflicts between rules. Within a single rule, multiple actions (say move then tag) run in sequence.
On MCP vs UI: they share the same rule store. If an AI tries to create a rule with a name that already exists, it gets rejected. But there's a quirk I should be transparent about. The UI doesn't do the same duplicate check, so you could technically create two rules with the same name through the interface. MCP lookups are by name, so that would be a problem. It's on my list to fix.
Report
@nucro appreciate you flagging the quirk instead of glossing over it. if it happens today - two rules, same name, one made via the UI - what does the MCP lookup actually do, error out or silently grab whichever one it finds first? that silent-wrong-match case would worry me more than the UI allowing it in the first place
@galdayan You called it. That silent wrong match is exactly what happens today, no error, no warning. But I just fixed it. Adding duplicate name validation in the UI, pushing an update very soon.
As someone whose Downloads folder constantly fills up with installers and screenshots, this feels like a practical solution. The one-time pricing is also refreshing. Curious how AutoShelf handles conflicts when a destination file already exists—does it skip, overwrite, or prompt?
@mohammad_ashik_elahi Glad the one-time pricing resonates! On conflicts, AutoShelf auto-renames by appending a number (e.g., report 1.pdf, report 2.pdf). No overwrites, no silent skips, no prompts. It just finds the next available name and keeps going.
Report
The little rule preview that shows exactly where each file will land before you hit apply is such a thoughtful touch. Clean execution on what could have been a frustrating setup experience.
Report
Set up a rule to sort my downloads by file type in about a minute, and it just kept working in the background. Wish I had this years ago, my desktop is finally usable.
Yo this is actually nice. I tried Hazel a while back and returned it in like an hour, way too much for what I needed. AutoShelf I literally set up 'dump everything in Downloads into folders by type' in like 2 minutes and forgot about it. menu bar icon sitting there doing its thing. good stuff.
The MCP thing is sick. i told claude 'auto trash DMGs after 3 days' and it just made the rule for me. didnt even open the app. thats how all mac apps should work honestly
Replies
AutoShelf
Hey Product Hunt! 👋 I'm Orçun, the solo developer behind AutoShelf.
I built AutoShelf because my Downloads folder had become a graveyard of DMGs, screenshots, and random files I swore I'd "clean up later." The existing tools were either powerful but byzantine, or simple but limited. Nothing felt like it was built for this decade of macOS.
So I made AutoShelf: a menu bar app that watches your folders and runs your rules. Set it up in 30 seconds with a template, then forget it exists.
What it does:
- 🗂 10 conditions: file type, extension, where it came from (download URL or app), age, size, name, last-modified/opened, or just "everything." Combine multiple with AND + NOT.
- ⚡ 10 actions, chainable: move, copy, trash, rename, tag, archive to ZIP, optimize images, import to Photos. Stack them in one rule: tag, then archive, then move.
- 📋 9 built-in templates: one-click "Organize Downloads," "Auto-trash DMGs," "Clean Desktop," "Sort by Source," and more.
- 🌍 19 languages, native SwiftUI, lives in your menu bar (or a full window, your call).
🤖 MCP support (this is the fun part):
AutoShelf ships with a full MCP server baked into the app binary, so it works natively with Claude Code, Cursor, opencode, and any other local MCP-compatible client. Point your client at AutoShelf.app/Contents/MacOS/AutoShelf and you get 13 tools: create_rule, edit_rule, delete_rule, enable_rule/disable_rule, run_rule, list_rules, list_groups, get_rule, get_status, pause_monitoring, resume_monitoring, and pick_folder (which pops the native macOS folder picker). So instead of clicking around a UI, you can literally say "watch my Downloads folder and trash any DMG older than 3 days" to Claude or opencode, and it builds and installs the rule for you. Write operations are gated behind a Pro-only toggle that defaults to off, so nothing happens without your say-so.
Why AutoShelf:
- Set-and-forget simplicity: templates get you running in seconds, no configuration wizard required
- Built for today's macOS, not ported from 2012
- Scriptable end to end: MCP for AI assistants, plus a Go CLI for terminal workflows
- One-time $19.99, no subscription.
What's next:
- LOT MORE conditions and actions.
- File conversions (HEIC→JPG, MOV→MP4, WAV→MP3)
- Cloud uploads: route files to iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive
- Scheduled downloads: pull from RSS feeds, URLs, or cloud storage
- Rule creation wizard: step-by-step guided flow
Have a feature idea? I'd love to hear it → https://useautoshelf.com/support
Happy to answer any questions, feedback welcome! 🙏
the way rules chain together with live previews before saving is a really thoughtful touch. makes it feel less like config and more like actually designing a system.
AutoShelf
@ayhangltekqrdt Thank you!!
Congrats on you launch 🎉
I'm really glad to meet my favorite app on PH again!
Thanks to AutoShelf, my download and desktop keep clean, just as I intended. The new version's UI is even more refined. I'll continue to support you.🫶
AutoShelf
@d41 Huge thanks dude!
the MCP server baked into the binary is a smart move, that's a much easier install story than a separate npm package. one thing I'm curious about: if two rules both match the same file (say one moves it and another renames+archives it), what decides execution order? and can a rule created through the MCP tool by an AI client end up conflicting with one a human set up in the UI, or does it validate against existing rules before creating a new one?
AutoShelf
@galdayan Great questions! Here how it goes;
On execution order: rules run top to bottom in your list. First match wins, only one rule acts on a file, so no conflicts between rules. Within a single rule, multiple actions (say move then tag) run in sequence.
On MCP vs UI: they share the same rule store. If an AI tries to create a rule with a name that already exists, it gets rejected. But there's a quirk I should be transparent about. The UI doesn't do the same duplicate check, so you could technically create two rules with the same name through the interface. MCP lookups are by name, so that would be a problem. It's on my list to fix.
@nucro appreciate you flagging the quirk instead of glossing over it. if it happens today - two rules, same name, one made via the UI - what does the MCP lookup actually do, error out or silently grab whichever one it finds first? that silent-wrong-match case would worry me more than the UI allowing it in the first place
AutoShelf
@galdayan You called it. That silent wrong match is exactly what happens today, no error, no warning. But I just fixed it. Adding duplicate name validation in the UI, pushing an update very soon.
My Drawer
AutoShelf
@furkanksl Thanks man!
As someone whose Downloads folder constantly fills up with installers and screenshots, this feels like a practical solution. The one-time pricing is also refreshing. Curious how AutoShelf handles conflicts when a destination file already exists—does it skip, overwrite, or prompt?
AutoShelf
@mohammad_ashik_elahi Glad the one-time pricing resonates! On conflicts, AutoShelf auto-renames by appending a number (e.g., report 1.pdf, report 2.pdf). No overwrites, no silent skips, no prompts. It just finds the next available name and keeps going.
The little rule preview that shows exactly where each file will land before you hit apply is such a thoughtful touch. Clean execution on what could have been a frustrating setup experience.
Set up a rule to sort my downloads by file type in about a minute, and it just kept working in the background. Wish I had this years ago, my desktop is finally usable.
ModuleX
Yo this is actually nice. I tried Hazel a while back and returned it in like an hour, way too much for what I needed. AutoShelf I literally set up 'dump everything in Downloads into folders by type' in like 2 minutes and forgot about it. menu bar icon sitting there doing its thing. good stuff.
ModuleX
The MCP thing is sick. i told claude 'auto trash DMGs after 3 days' and it just made the rule for me. didnt even open the app. thats how all mac apps should work honestly