How to Sort files on the fly

1 Select a folder

Click + at the bottom of the Folders pane. Select your Downloads folder, and click Open. Click + under Rules to create a new rule. Name it ‘File Music’, and set its first condition to ‘Kind is Music’ to target audio files.

2 Define a rule

Set the first action to ‘Import into iTunes’. This will import your music, but leave the originals in place. So click

+ to add a second action, which should be ‘Move to folder: Trash’. Click OK and your rule is complete.

3 Test your rule

Assuming Hazel is active – toggle it from the menu bar or Info tab – your rule should now run in the background. Try placing some new MP3 or AAC files in Downloads. They will import into iTunes and then be moved to the Trash.

4 Spot old files

To quickly view old files, create a rule with the condition ‘Date Added is not in the last 3 months’. Use the action ‘Set colour label’ and select a colour. Or, make a folder ‘Old files’ in ~/Downloads and send files to it.

5 Sort your files

If you fancy something closer in nature to Desktop Stacks, make a rule with a condition ‘Kind is not Folder’, and the action ‘Sort into subfolder with pattern kind’. Hazel will automatically move your files based on their types.

6 Pause and test

When doing complex things with Hazel, pause it while you set up rules, and use the preview (eye icon) to test them. Also be mindful your rules will run in order – ensure said order works for the results you want.