Advanced: Use Claude Code to Build a Dry-Run Folder Inventory

Batch file changes are where a small shortcut can become a large cleanup job. A dry-run inventory gives you something concrete to review before Claude Code renames, moves, or deletes anything.

Advanced builder lesson. Evidence label: documentation-based guide with fictional input and illustrative output. This workflow was not executed here, and the folder below is fictional.

What you need

• Claude Code installed and authenticated. The official overview documents terminal, IDE, desktop, and web surfaces, with access requirements varying by setup.
• A disposable sample folder, not a production or shared drive.
• A naming rule written in plain language.

Claude Code’s workflow documentation supports inspecting a codebase, asking for a plan before editing, and working in small, verifiable steps. This lesson applies that boundary to a folder inventory.

1. Define the boundary

Create this fictional folder map in your task brief:

Folder: ./sample-handoffs
Allowed action now: read filenames and file types only
Excluded: hidden files, credentials, customer data, and folders outside this path
Naming rule: report a proposed YYYY-MM-DD-topic.ext name only when the date is present
Required output: inventory table and collision list
Forbidden now: rename, move, delete, overwrite, upload, or commit
Acceptance check: every visible sample file appears once, with no write action

The folder contains:

2026-10-21_supplier-notes.txt
supplier-notes-final.txt
handoff-draft.md

2. Start in plan mode

From the project root, run:

claude --permission-mode plan

Then paste:

Inspect only ./sample-handoffs.
Do not edit, rename, move, delete, overwrite, upload, or commit anything.
Ignore hidden files and anything outside that folder.

Return a Markdown table with:
- relative path
- detected extension
- proposed filename, only when the date and topic are explicit
- collision or ambiguity
- recommended action: keep, review, or propose rename

Also return a collision list and the exact commands you would run later.
Do not run those commands. Stop after the inventory.

Plan mode is a review boundary. Keep the command list as a proposed artifact, not as evidence that anything changed.

3. Review the illustrative inventory

| Relative path | Type | Proposed filename | Collision or ambiguity | Action |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-10-21_supplier-notes.txt | text | 2026-10-21-supplier-notes.txt | None stated | Propose rename |
| supplier-notes-final.txt | text | None | Date is absent; "final" is ambiguous | Review |
| handoff-draft.md | Markdown | None | Topic and date are absent | Keep |

Collisions: None confirmed. Review the proposed rename against the folder before applying it.

This is an editor-written illustrative artifact. It is not a captured Claude Code result.

4. Approve one change at a time

If the inventory passes review, leave plan mode only when you are ready to make a separately approved change. Ask for one rename, then request a fresh listing and compare the result with the approved path. Do not turn a proposed batch into an automatic batch.

Acceptance checks

1. Every allowed visible file appears exactly once.
2. Hidden files and outside paths are absent.
3. Files without an explicit date are not given invented dates.
4. Proposed names do not overwrite an existing path.
5. The session ran no write command during the inventory.
6. The proposed command list is reviewed before any later action.

Troubleshooting

• The inventory includes outside files: stop and narrow the path in the prompt and working directory.
• A proposed name loses meaning: mark it review instead of guessing a date or topic.
• A collision appears: keep both originals and ask for a new naming rule; do not overwrite.
• Claude starts editing: stop the session and restart in plan mode with the forbidden actions stated first.

No-code alternative

In a file manager, sort the sample folder by name, copy the visible filenames into a spreadsheet, and add columns for proposed name, collision, and approval. This is slower, but it gives you the same review artifact without adding a coding tool.

Limits and safe use

Use a disposable folder first. Do not include credentials, private customer files, or shared drives. A plan is not a backup. Preserve originals until a person has reviewed the inventory and approved a specific change.

TRY this on a small sample folder. SKIP production folders and bulk destructive actions. USE the workflow when a reviewed dry-run list is more valuable than a quick rename.

Sources

• Claude Code overview
• Claude Code common workflows
• Claude Code MCP reference
• The Weekly Verdict signup