A small tool for a very annoying folder.
Downloads,organized before they land.
Downloads Butler sorts and renames Chrome downloads before they hit your Downloads folder, so files land where they belong from the start.
Less digging. Fewer mystery files. A calmer Downloads folder.
Quick tour
Your Downloads folder should not be a junk drawer with a scrollbar.
Downloads Butler gives Chrome downloads a little structure before they land: useful folders, cleaner filenames, rules for repeat habits, and Rescue for the mess that already happened.
Sorting
Choose where files go by group, type, website/source, or your preferred order.
Renaming
Build readable filenames from simple parts like Date, Website, and Name.
Rules
Create habits once, then let matching downloads follow them automatically.
Rescue
Clean up older files that were already sitting in Downloads.
Features
Everything new downloads need before they become a tiny paperwork incident.
Sorting
Put downloads where they should have gone in the first place.
Sort downloads before they start nesting in your Downloads folder like raccoons in a garage.
Choose how Downloads Butler builds folders. Use broad groups like Documents and Images, exact types like PDF and ZIP, website/source folders like ChatGPT or GitHub, or your own preferred order.
Read more about Download Sorting →Path 1
Documents / ChatGPT
Path 2
ChatGPT / Documents
Path 3
Images / Unsplash
Path 4
ZIP / GitHub
Renaming
Readable filenames without the tiny archaeology project.
Give files names you can recognize later, instead of final_final_2_actual.pdf.
Use simple parts like Date, Website, and Name, then arrange them in the order that makes sense for how you search later.
Read more about Smart Renaming →Before
download (12).pdf
After
2026-05-03_ChatGPT_Report.pdf
Source-aware
Folders that remember where files came from.
Downloads from ChatGPT, GitHub, Yahoo, and other sites can land in source-aware folders, even when the file type is not special.
Source handling stays separate from file type handling. A file does not need to be a perfect known type to still get useful source context.
Read more about Source-Aware Folders →Path 1
ChatGPT / Documents
Path 2
GitHub / Archives
Path 3
Yahoo / Documents
Rules
Turn repeat downloads into repeat behavior.
Teach Downloads Butler your habits once. It will not ask existential follow-up questions.
Create rules for websites, file kinds, extensions, or filename patterns. A GitHub ZIP can go to Dev / Archives. Invoice PDFs can go to Finance. You decide the ritual.
Read more about Download Rules →Rule sentence
One-time + Sessions
Temporary choices for temporary chaos.
Handle the next download differently, or start a focused session when you are collecting files for one job.
Use one-time choices when you only need a temporary override. Use sessions for focused work like tax prep, research, or client assets.
Next download only
Save to Receipts
Session
Research Sprint → Research / Papers
Rescue
Already messy? Rescue the folder.
Already have a Downloads folder with 847 items and one mysterious .zip from 2021? Rescue is for that.
Rescue helps organize files that were downloaded before Downloads Butler was installed. Preview the cleanup, apply it when ready, and keep a safer path back.
Read more about Rescue Your Downloads Folder →Before
Downloads / 847 files
plus one mysterious .zip from 2021
After
Documents / Images / Archives
folder soup, reduced
Log
See what happened, where the file went, and why.
Downloads Butler keeps a local activity trail so handled files do not disappear into a polite little fog.
Review recent decisions, see the destination and filename, and understand which rule or setting handled the download.
Read more about Download Log →Saved · ChatGPT_Report.pdf · Documents / ChatGPT
Renamed · download (12).pdf → 2026-05-03_ChatGPT_Report.pdf
Local-first
Your download history does not need a cloud vacation.
Downloads Butler works locally in Chrome. Your settings, rules, logs, and download decisions are stored in local browser storage. No account is required.
No account. No cloud dashboard. No hosted download history. Just a small extension doing its local job.
Read more about Local-First Download Manager →Stays local in Chrome
How it works
Three steps. No ceremony.
Chrome starts a download
A file begins downloading, just like usual.
Downloads Butler checks your setup
Sorting, Renaming, Rules, Sessions, and one-time choices are checked before the file lands.
The file arrives organized
Chrome gets a safe filename and folder suggestion, then the download lands with less chaos attached.
FAQ
A few sensible questions before the butler touches the filenames.
Does Downloads Butler upload my files?
No. Downloads Butler is local-first. It uses Chrome extension APIs and local browser storage for settings, rules, logs, and download decisions.
Does it need an account?
No account is required. There is no cloud dashboard to feed, water, or forget a password for.
Why does it need the downloads permission?
The downloads permission is the core of the product. Downloads Butler uses it to see download metadata and suggest a safe folder and filename before Chrome writes the file.
Can I turn it off?
Yes. The extension includes controls for disabling or adjusting its behavior when you want Chrome to handle downloads normally.
Can it clean files I already downloaded?
Yes. Rescue is built for existing files in a chosen local folder. It previews cleanup before applying changes.
Is it free?
The current extension is free. If this changes later, the website and Chrome Web Store listing should say so clearly.
Give your Downloads folder a supervisor.
Install Downloads Butler for Chrome and let new files arrive with a little more dignity.
No account. No cloud vacation. No folder raccoons.