Read-Only Mac Storage Audit with Codex/Claude Code: Visual Breakdown and Cleanup Candidates

Input: a read-only audit instruction → Process: AI scans home directory, generates visual breakdown and numbered candidate table → Output: an itemized cleanup list awaiting your approval

Who

Mac users running low on disk space who want to audit before manually deciding what to delete

You get

Get disk usage overview, visual breakdown of large folders, and a numbered cleanup candidate table with risk notes; author illustrates 956 GB → 600 GB (illustrative, not guaranteed)

You need

Codex

Steps

1. Open Codex or Claude Code

   Launch your locally installed Codex CLI or Claude Code interactive session. Ensure the tool has read access to your home directory (write permission is not required to begin the audit).

2. Paste the read-only audit prompt

   Paste the full prompt below into the conversation and send. The prompt instructs the tool to perform an exploratory audit only, and forbids deleting, moving, clearing, or stopping any files or apps before receiving your explicit approval.

   Execution prompt · Source text。Codex or Claude Code conversation input

   Copy prompt

   Audit my Mac’s storage and show me where the space is going.
   
   This is an exploration task. Do not delete, move, clear or unpin files, empty Trash, or stop apps. Wait for my explicit approval before cleanup.
   
   Inspect my home folder, not just the current project. Use folder sizes and file metadata without opening personal file contents or downloading cloud-only files.
   
   Give me:
   
   1. Total, used and available disk space. Explain any differences from macOS Storage Settings.
   
   2. A visual, tile-style breakdown of the largest folders and file types: Documents, Downloads, Desktop, recordings, archives, development projects and app caches. Drill into the biggest contributors.
   
   3. A numbered cleanup table showing:
      • Exact path and measured size
      • What it contains
      • Why it might be removable
      • What I would lose or need to recreate
      • Any checks required before removal
   
   Separate regenerable caches and build output from personal files, backups, dependencies and app data. Large or old does not automatically mean unnecessary.
   
   Preserve passwords, cookies, history, bookmarks, sessions, credentials, source code, Git history, databases and Docker volumes. Keep AI/coding tools’ data and shared caches out of cleanup candidates unless I explicitly include them.
   
   For cloud folders, distinguish freeing local space from deletion that syncs everywhere. For installers, verify the app is installed and the installer is unused. Identify apps or dev servers that must close before cleanup.
   
   Use allocated disk usage where possible. Flag sparse files, shared blocks and overlapping totals. Give a conservative recovery estimate without double-counting, and clearly state anything you couldn’t verify.
   
   Finish by asking which numbered items I approve. Do not perform cleanup yet.

3. Review output and approve by item number

   The tool returns three sections: disk overview with macOS Storage Settings variance notes, visual breakdown of large folders, and a numbered cleanup candidate table. Read each path's risk notes carefully (what would be lost, what needs recreation, pre-removal checks). Only reply with approved numbers after fully understanding the consequences; unapproved items will not be executed.

Open Codex or Claude Code, paste the source audit prompt from step 2 verbatim, then check and fix its output item by item.