# Media Sort Starter: see where every file would land (free sample)

> A read-only script and the starter taxonomy from Media Sort Starter. It counts how many photos and videos would land in each of your folders, keeps private categories out of the count, and moves, copies and writes nothing.

- URL: https://paperchasewebb.ai/bots/marketplace/items/media-sort-starter-read-only-preview-free-sample/
- Type: Prompt pack
- Category: Creative and video
- By: PaperChaseWebb
- Works with: Claude Code, Codex, Grok Bot, Hermes (named in the listing); Plain .md plus one Python 3 script, standard library only, read-only. The rules paste into AGENTS.md, CLAUDE.md, Hermes notes or a Grok Bot's standing instructions. Tested on Linux
- Price: Free USD
- Difficulty: Beginner
- Setup time: 5 min
- Time to result: About five minutes
- Format: Markdown (.md) file, media-sort-starter-read-only-preview-free-sample.md
- Version: 1.0, updated 2026-11-01
- License: Personal and commercial use.

## What you end up with

You see how your folders would split before you sort anything.

## What you get

- sort_preview.py: a read-only counter
- The starter taxonomy.json
- One prompt for your agent

## Who it is for

Anyone who wants a quick look at how their media would sort.

## Tools needed

- Python 3.8 or newer: runs every script; standard library only, no network
- You need: Python 3.8 or newer
- You need: A folder of photos or videos

Cost to run: Free.

## Sample prompt: Preview (Grok Bot, Claude Code, Codex, Hermes)

```
Run python3 sort_preview.py on ~/Downloads with taxonomy.json and tell me which folder is biggest and how many files land in _review. Do not open, move or list any files.
```

The script and taxonomy are in the file.

## Free preview of media-sort-starter-read-only-preview-free-sample.md

````markdown
# Media Sort Starter: free preview

**See where every photo and video would land before anything moves.** One read-only script and the starter taxonomy from the full kit.

## What it does

`sort_preview.py` walks a folder and counts how many photos and videos would land in each of your folders. It moves nothing, copies nothing and writes nothing. Files that match a private category are counted as "left alone" and never listed.

## Run it

1. Save the two files below.
2. Edit the folder names and words in `taxonomy.json` to match how you think about your media.
3. `python3 sort_preview.py ~/Downloads taxonomy.json`

Prompt for Grok Bot, Claude Code, Codex or Hermes:
> Run python3 sort_preview.py on ~/Downloads with taxonomy.json and tell me which folder is biggest and how many files land in _review. Do not open, move or list any files.

## The full kit adds

A plan you approve by typing a code at your own terminal (an agent cannot approve for you), duplicate detection by hash, copy before move, a byte-for-byte verify, undo, agent rules for Grok Bot, Claude Code, Codex and Hermes, and 13 tests. $14.

#### file: mini/sort_preview.py
~~~~python
#!/usr/bin/env python3
"""Media Sort Starter free sample: read-only preview. Counts what would land in each folder of your taxonomy.
Moves nothing, copies nothing, writes nothing. Python 3.8+.  Usage: python3 sort_preview.py FOLDER taxonomy.json"""
import json, os, sys
MEDIA = {".jpg",".jpeg",".png",".heic",".heif",".webp",".gif",".tif",".
````

## Test record

- Date: Nov 1, 2026
- What was run: tests/test_mini.py on Linux, Python 3.8, 3.9, 3.11, 3.12 and 3.13.
- Result: 1 passed on all five versions.
- Not run: Everything the full kit does.

Copied from this item's dated test notes. What was not run stays in.

## Worth knowing

- The sample only counts. Planning, approval, copy, verify, undo and duplicate detection are in the full kit.
- On 2026-11-01 its test passed on Linux with Python 3.8 to 3.13.

## Questions

**Does it change anything?** No. It reads names and counts. It writes nothing.

**What is in the full kit?** An approved plan, duplicates by hash, copy before move, verify, undo, agent rules and 13 tests. $14.

## How to get it

Free sample. Download it directly at https://paperchasewebb.ai/bots/marketplace/items/media-sort-starter-read-only-preview-free-sample/, no signup.

Seller: PaperChaseWebb Inc., mgmt@paperchasewebb.com