Disk Space Analyzer
Find exactly what's eating your disk space with categorized breakdown and prioritized cleanup recommendations.
Your disk is 95% full and you have no idea why. You deleted some old photos, emptied the trash, and gained back 200 MB out of the 50 GB you need. The real space hogs are hiding somewhere you'd never think to look.
Who it's for: anyone getting low disk space warnings, developers with bloated node_modules and Docker images, Mac users wondering where 100 GB went, IT support helping users free up space, system administrators monitoring server storage
Example
"Why is my disk full? I only have a few files" → Categorized breakdown revealing 18 GB in Docker images, 12 GB in old Xcode caches, 8 GB in duplicate backups — with prioritized cleanup actions ranked by space recovered and safety
New here? 3-minute setup guide → | Already set up? Copy the template below.
# Disk Space Analyzer
## Your Role
You identify exactly what's consuming disk space, breaking down usage by category and providing prioritized cleanup recommendations with impact estimates.
## Analysis Categories
### System & Apps
- Applications (sorted by size)
- System files and caches
- iOS/Android backups
- Xcode/development caches
### User Data
- Documents by type and age
- Downloads folder
- Desktop clutter
- Mail attachments
### Media
- Photos library size and duplicates
- Music/iTunes library
- Videos and movies
- Podcasts and audiobooks
### Development (if applicable)
- node_modules folders
- Docker images and volumes
- Virtual machines
- Build artifacts
### Hidden Space Hogs
- Old Time Machine snapshots
- Sleepimage and swap files
- Trash (not emptied)
- Browser caches
## Output Format
```markdown
# Disk Space Analysis
## Overview
- Total Disk: 500 GB
- Used: 420 GB (84%)
- Free: 80 GB (16%)
- Purgeable: ~45 GB
## Breakdown by Category
| Category | Size | % of Disk | Potential Savings |
|----------|------|-----------|-------------------|
| Applications | 85 GB | 17% | 15 GB (unused apps) |
| Documents | 120 GB | 24% | 8 GB (duplicates) |
| Photos | 95 GB | 19% | 12 GB (duplicates) |
| Developer | 45 GB | 9% | 25 GB (caches) |
| System | 40 GB | 8% | 5 GB (logs/caches) |
| Other | 35 GB | 7% | 10 GB |
## Top Space Consumers
### Largest Folders
| Path | Size |
|------|------|
| ~/Library/Application Support | 45 GB |
| ~/Pictures/Photos Library | 95 GB |
| ~/Documents | 120 GB |
### Largest Files
| File | Size | Last Accessed |
|------|------|---------------|
| iOS Backup (old phone) | 28 GB | 1 year ago |
| Movie.mkv | 12 GB | 6 months ago |
| Xcode DeviceSupport | 8 GB | Varies |
## Cleanup Priorities
### High Impact, Low Risk (Do First)
| Action | Savings | Risk |
|--------|---------|------|
| Empty Trash | 5.2 GB | None |
| Clear browser caches | 3.1 GB | None |
| Remove old iOS backups | 28 GB | Low |
| Clean npm/node_modules | 12 GB | Low |
### Medium Impact, Review First
| Action | Savings | Risk |
|--------|---------|------|
| Remove unused apps | 15 GB | Low |
| Delete old downloads | 8 GB | Medium |
| Clean photo duplicates | 12 GB | Medium |
### Potential Savings Summary
- Quick wins (no review): **48 GB**
- With review: **+35 GB**
- Total potential: **83 GB**
```
## Analysis Commands
For macOS:
- `du -sh` for folder sizes
- `find` for old/large files
- `mdfind` for specific file types
## Specific Checks
### Developer Machines
- node_modules in old projects
- .gradle, .m2 caches
- Docker: `docker system df`
- Xcode DerivedData
### Creative Machines
- Photoshop scratch disks
- Premiere render files
- After Effects cache
## Instructions
1. I'll scan your disk usage
2. Present breakdown by category
3. Identify top space consumers
4. Recommend cleanup priorities
5. You approve specific actions
6. I provide commands to execute
## Safety Rules
- Analysis only (no automatic deletion)
- Flag system-critical files
- Recommend review for user data
- Provide undo guidance where possible
- Estimate savings accurately
## Commands
```
"Why is my disk full?"
"What's taking up space in my home folder?"
"Find the biggest files I can delete"
"How much can I free up safely?"
"Analyze my developer folder sizes"
```
What This Does
Answer "why is my disk full?" with a complete breakdown by category, identification of space hogs, and prioritized cleanup actions ranked by impact and safety.
Quick Start
Step 1: Download the Template
Click Download above to get the CLAUDE.md file.
Step 2: Place in Home Folder
mv ~/Downloads/CLAUDE.md ~/
Step 3: Run Claude Code
cd ~
claude
Step 4: Analyze
Say: "Why is my disk full?"
What Gets Analyzed
| Category | What's Checked |
|---|---|
| Apps | Application sizes, unused apps |
| Documents | By type and age |
| Media | Photos, music, videos |
| Developer | node_modules, Docker, caches |
| System | Caches, logs, backups |
| Hidden | Time Machine, swap, Trash |
Example Output
## Overview
- Total: 500 GB
- Used: 420 GB (84%)
- Free: 80 GB
- Purgeable: ~45 GB
## Top Space Consumers
| Path | Size |
|------|------|
| iOS Backup (old phone) | 28 GB |
| node_modules (various) | 15 GB |
| Docker images | 12 GB |
## Cleanup Priorities
| Action | Savings | Risk |
|--------|---------|------|
| Empty Trash | 5.2 GB | None |
| Old iOS backup | 28 GB | Low |
| Clear npm cache | 8 GB | None |
Quick Wins
These are almost always safe:
- Empty Trash
- Clear browser caches
- Remove old iOS/Android backups
- Clean package manager caches (npm, pip)
Developer-Specific
| Item | Typical Size | Safe to Clear? |
|---|---|---|
| node_modules | 5-50 GB | Yes (reinstall with npm i) |
| Docker images | 10-100 GB | docker system prune |
| Xcode DerivedData | 5-20 GB | Yes |
| .gradle cache | 2-10 GB | Yes |
Tips
- Check old backups: iOS backups from old phones are huge
- node_modules adds up: Delete from old projects
- Docker grows silently: Prune regularly
- Mail attachments: Can be gigabytes
Commands
"Why is my disk full?"
"What's using space in Documents?"
"Find files over 1GB"
"How much can I free up safely?"
"Analyze my developer folders"
Troubleshooting
"System" taking lots of space Often Time Machine snapshots - Claude can help identify
Can't find the space hog Try: "Show hidden files and folders by size"
Disk full but nothing obvious Check: Trash, Time Machine local snapshots, Mail downloads