A sophisticated organization framework that prevents AI agents from scattering files by enforcing strict naming conventions and a standardized directory hierarchy.
Install & Download
1. ClawHub CLI
The fastest way to install a skill directly from the registry.
npx clawhub@latest install file-rules
2. Manual Installation
Copy the skill folder to one of these locations
~/.openclaw/skills/ <project>/skills/ Priority: Workspace > Local > Bundled
3. Prompt Installation
Copy this prompt to OpenClaw to install it automatically.
Help me install file-rules using Clawhub. If Clawhub is not installed, install it first (npm i -g clawhub).
Prefer to download?
Get the raw skill files in a ZIP archive.
What is Workspace Guardian?
Workspace Guardian is a specialized management layer designed to bring order to the often chaotic output of AI coding agents. By implementing a 'One Project = One Directory' philosophy, it ensures that every file generated—whether it is a script, a data set, or a final report—is placed within a logical, predictable structure. This skill is a vital addition to the Openclaw Skills library for developers who want to reduce token waste and eliminate the time-consuming 'file hunt' that occurs when agents save outputs to random directories.
Beyond simple placement, the skill governs the entire lifecycle of a file. It mandates specific naming formats that include dates and descriptive slugs, ensuring that even months later, a user can identify the purpose of a file without opening it. By maintaining a clean workspace across Windows, macOS, and Linux, Workspace Guardian transforms a cluttered AI environment into a professional, production-ready development workspace.
Workspace Guardian Use Cases
- Preventing AI agents from saving files to the root, desktop, or downloads folders.
- Automatically organizing multi-file AI projects into dedicated data, script, and documentation folders.
- Standardizing script naming across a team to ensure consistency (e.g., verb_object.py).
- Automating the cleanup of temporary files and rejected AI outputs to maintain a lean storage footprint.
- Archiving older versions of AI-generated scripts with timestamped suffixes for easy version tracking.
How Workspace Guardian Works
- The skill intercepts file creation requests from the AI agent and checks if a specific path was provided by the user.
- If no path exists, it identifies the current project context and assigns a standardized directory root.
- It applies naming logic, transforming generic filenames into structured strings like {date}_{description}.{ext}.
- The file is placed into the appropriate sub-directory (e.g., /output for deliverables or /scripts for logic).
- Upon completion of the task, the skill triggers a cleanup of the /temp folder.
- Periodic maintenance cycles scan for empty directories or redundant script versions to prompt the user for optimization.
Workspace Guardian Setup
To integrate this skill into your environment, ensure you are running a supported version of the Openclaw platform. Use the following commands to get started:
# Install the Workspace Guardian skill
openclaw install workspace-guardian
# Verify the installation and version (requires 1.0.7+)
openclaw list skills
Once installed, the skill will automatically govern all file-related operations performed by your AI agent unless overridden by explicit path commands.
Workspace Guardian Data Schema & Taxonomy
Workspace Guardian utilizes a rigid taxonomy to categorize files. The following table describes the standard directory mapping used by Openclaw Skills of this type:
| Directory | Purpose | Retention Policy |
|---|---|---|
output/ |
Final deliverables and approved content | Permanent |
scripts/ |
Executable code and automation tools | Permanent (Versioned) |
data/ |
Raw and processed data files | Permanent |
docs/ |
Project documentation and READMEs | Permanent |
temp/ |
Temporary processing files | Deleted after task |
drafts/ |
Pending content awaiting approval | Deleted upon rejection |
All scripts follow the specific schema: {verb}_{object}.py, while general files utilize {date}_{description}.{ext}.
Workspace Guardian Advanced Features
- Multi-OS support across Windows (win32), Linux, and macOS (darwin).
- Automatic versioning hooks that archive old scripts with date suffixes instead of overwriting them.
- Intelligent cleanup protocols that remove rejected outputs immediately to prevent workspace pollution.
- Agent-specific workspace isolation located in
~/.openclaw/workspace-*/for independent task management. - Scheduled maintenance prompts that identify empty directories and version bloat for user-confirmed optimization.
SKILL.md
Loading
Related Openclaw Skills
FFmpeg Video Editing
A powerful command-line skill for performing precise video cutting, trimming, splitting, and concatenation using the industry-standard FFmpeg engine.
Workspace Guardian
A professional file organization and workspace management protocol that enforces strict naming conventions and directory hierarchies for AI agents.
FFmpeg Video Filters
A versatile video processing tool for scaling, cropping, watermarking, and applying advanced visual effects through FFmpeg.
Git Assistant
An AI-powered git workflow tool that automates the generation of Conventional Commits, PR descriptions, and release documentation.
Text to Video Leaderboard
A specialized tool for comparing and ranking the output of top text-to-video AI models through a cloud-based rendering pipeline.
Research Orchestration
A powerful orchestration skill that manages parallel subagents to systematically map and document complex codebases into structured reports.
Featured*
