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Common foundation

Organizing your files for AI

A single root folder, flat work folders, a typology: the condition for AI to find, file and reuse your documents.

Resident / PhD studentFellow (CCA, AHU)Associate prof. (MCU-PH)Full prof. (PU-PH)CoworkSkillArtifact1 weekend, then 5 min/day

The problem

Your documents are scattered across Downloads, several drives, an institutional Drive and email attachments. The AI can only work on what it sees: a file outside its scope does not exist for it, and an automated task pointing to another drive breaks at the first change of computer.

Step-by-step method

  1. Create a single root folder reserved for the AI (for example IA-NOM). This is the only folder you give Claude access to (Cowork or Claude Code).
  2. Flat work folders, one per major activity: ARTICLES, PRESENTATIONS, SERVICE, ENSEIGNEMENT, BIBLIOGRAPHIE, DONNEES… Avoid deep folder trees.
  3. Three technical folders: _SYSTEME (rules, plans, logs), _A_TRIER (holding area) and 90_ARCHIVE (what is never really deleted).
  4. Write the filing rules in a _SYSTEME/REGLES-CLASSEMENT.md file: what goes where, how to name things, what is sensitive.
  5. Have a typology built: ask Claude to go through a sample and propose file “profiles” (manuscript, conference deck, minutes, activity report…), each with its family, version, sensitivity and target location.
  6. Approve on a dedicated page: Claude displays its proposals in an artifact (Approve / Correct / Discard). Nothing moves before your decision; your corrections become learned rules.
  7. File by copying, not by moving: the original is kept for a few days, then removed after checking. Ambiguous files go into _A_TRIER.
  8. Bring back what is elsewhere: any useful folder located outside the root must be brought back into it.

Deliverable

A clean root folder, a rules file, an approved typology and an automatic daily filing of Downloads.

Safeguards

  • Rule of doubt: Claude asks rather than guesses.
  • Files containing patient data are flagged as sensitive, their names masked, and they never leave the workstation.
  • Nothing is ever deleted: it is archived.

Starter prompt

Here is my root folder. Go through it without moving anything. Propose a typology of 10 to 15 file profiles (family, examples, target location, sensitivity) and list the files in doubt. Present everything on a page where I can approve, correct or discard each proposal.

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