Automate one safe Downloads rule before paying for file automation
Write the rule contract, preview it on fictional copies and approve one reversible local filing job before buying unlimited automation.
A reviewed one-rule Downloads workflow: a written contract, twelve fictional test files, a preview checklist, one approved local run, a change record and a specific upgrade decision.
Start with one repeated file decision, not an automation membership. It has not been run in those tools and does not claim a provider result, security audit or customer outcome. The visual is a FreeStack editorial concept rather than an AutoShelf screenshot.
About this guide & its examples
This original FreeStack workflow uses fictional copies to plan a single AutoShelf rule with VS Code and Git. Official sources checked 30 October 2026.
Illustrations are FreeStack concepts, not provider screenshots. Check the free limits below and test your own files before delivery.
Free boundaries before you start
What’s free, whether you need an account, and when we last checked.
AutoShelf · checked 2026-10-30
The ongoing Free tier includes one fully functional rule, one watched folder and built-in templates. The app runs locally on supported Macs; unlimited rules, import/export, confirmation, delay and more complex conditions are paid. The product site currently requires macOS 14 or later.
The maintainer describes local App Store use without an AutoShelf service account. Apple ID requirements for App Store installation are a separate platform boundary.
Visual Studio Code · checked 2026-10-29
VS Code remains free for private and commercial use. Microsoft's distribution uses its product licence; the published source is MIT-licensed. Extensions, Settings Sync, Copilot, remote services and deployment infrastructure have separate terms and limits.
No Microsoft account is required for core local editing. Optional sync, Copilot, marketplace or hosted services can require accounts.
Git · checked 2026-10-29
Free GPLv2 distributed version-control software for local repositories, with no provider project or history quota. Remote hosting, backup, access control and large-file storage are separate services.
No account is required for a local Git repository. Any remote host or sync service can require an account.
A small example to aim for
Downloads exercise
Write the exceptions.
Preview before permission.
Rule card · fictional copies · match preview · reviewed local run
FreeStack editorial workflow illustration · not an AutoShelf screenshot, hands-on test or customer result.
Illustrative example · adapt it to your project.
Jump to a step
Write the rule contract before touching Downloads
Choose one visible result: move completed image downloads into a Review/Images folder, while leaving partial downloads, installers and every unmatched file where they are. In VS Code, write the watched folder, match condition, destination, owner, review frequency, excluded extensions and rollback action. Use a new exercise folder rather than the real Downloads folder for version one.
Make twelve harmless test copies
Create fictional files that cover the intended match, near misses and failure cases: JPG, PNG, PDF, DMG, ZIP, an unfinished .download file, duplicate names and a nested folder. Do not use customer files, licences, invoices or personal downloads. Record the expected destination beside every item before the rule exists, then checkpoint the contract and manifest in Git.
Configure only the free rule
Install AutoShelf on a supported Mac and create one rule for the exercise folder. Match only the named image extensions and move them into the fictional review destination. Leave delete, shell-script, AppleScript, archive and conversion actions out of the first pass. The official Free tier allows one fully functional rule and one watched folder; unlimited rules and advanced controls are paid.
Preview every match before enabling it
Use AutoShelf's live preview and compare the matched list with the written manifest. The rule passes only if all intended images match and every near miss stays out. Change the condition rather than accepting an unexplained mismatch. Save a text note of the reviewed rule and preview result; the Free tier does not include Pro import/export of rule configurations.
Run once, inspect and keep a recovery path
Enable the rule only for the exercise folder, add fresh copies and inspect source and destination counts, names and file contents. Stop the rule if anything unexpected moves. Keep the originals or an approved backup until review is complete. Make a Git checkpoint for the text evidence only; do not commit sensitive files or pretend Git can capture AutoShelf's internal state.
Pay only when a second requirement is real
Keep the one-rule route while it removes one repeated decision safely. FreeStack editorial upgrade triggers are a second active rule, multiple watched folders, rule import/export, confirmation gates, delayed execution, compound conditions, managed team policy or supported cross-device operation. Name the missing requirement and test its value with fictional files before paying for Pro or another provider.
Your workflow, connected.
Follow the steps and carry the output into the next stage. These are suggested handoffs, not automatic integrations.
- 01Name the decision
VS Code core editing remains free. Extensions, Settings Sync, Copilot and hosted repositories have separate terms.
rule-card.md + exclusions - 02Prepare evidence
Git is free GPLv2 software. Local history is not an independent backup, access-control system or cloud repository.
Test manifest + first checkpoint - 03Build one rule
AutoShelf is a proprietary Mac App Store app. Free covers one rule and one watched folder; macOS 14 or later is required by the product site.
One disabled local rule
Provider information
Check current plans and documentation before committing to a workflow.
A couple of useful questions
What exactly remains free in AutoShelf?
The official site lists one fully functional rule, one watched folder and built-in templates. Unlimited rules and Pro controls are a one-time purchase rather than part of the free tier.
Does AutoShelf upload file names or rule data?
The maintainer says the app is offline by design, with no analytics, tracking or network calls. The App Store distribution and any separate tools you connect still have their own boundaries.
Why write a rule card if the app has a visual editor?
The card records the desired output, exclusions, reviewer and rollback in a portable form. It also exposes whether a second rule or paid control solves a real requirement.
What does Save this toolkit keep?
The existing FreeStack flow saves AutoShelf, VS Code and Git to a private stack after sign-in. It does not install software, watch a folder, copy files, create a rule, run Git or buy Pro.
What would you try?
Share your result or ask a specific question about this workflow.
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