FolderForge

Open-source macOS folder customization with presets, rules, and recursive workspace styling.

Website & Docs · Mac App Store · Download notarized v1.1.2 · macOS 14+

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• Color and gradient folder designs
• Native macOS folder geometry with independent back, paper, and front layer fills
• Image fills with optional overlays
• SF Symbols, emoji, and text
• Application icons as folder overlays
• Full ICNS import
• Reusable presets and recursive folder imports
• Visual Finder style chooser with My Styles and built-in presets
• Smart Style rules for applying designs across a folder tree
• Restore original icons and undo the last batch
• Native SwiftUI app with no third-party dependencies

1. Save any custom designs you want under My Styles. Built-in styles are always available.
2. Open System Settings › Keyboard › Keyboard Shortcuts › Services › Files and Folders.
3. Enable FolderForge: Choose Style… and FolderForge: Restore Original Icon.
4. Right-click folders in Finder, open Services, then choose a style visually and apply it.

Smart Style matches folders by name, path, marker files, or file types. For example, every folder named Receipts can automatically use the same preset across an entire workspace. It shows every proposed change before anything is applied. Scans default to one level deep, skip common build and system folders, and stop at 2,000 folders.

Install FolderForge from the Mac App Store, or download the DMG from Releases, move FolderForge to Applications, then open it.

FolderForge 1.1.2 is signed with a Developer ID certificate and notarized by Apple.

To build it yourself:

git clone https://github.com/KeplSiv/FolderForge.git
cd FolderForge
./build.sh --run

Requires macOS 14+ and the Xcode command line tools.

FolderForge works locally. It has no accounts, analytics, telemetry, or network features.

Before replacing a custom icon, FolderForge saves the original so it can be restored. It may request access to folders you choose. Finder Automation permission is only used when importing the current Finder selection.

See the privacy policy.

The app binary also provides a CLI:

FF=/Applications/FolderForge.app/Contents/MacOS/FolderForge
$FF --apply ~/Projects --preset Code
$FF --apply ~/Notes --color '#FF9F0A' --emoji '📓' --finish natural
$FF --apply ~/Code --recursive --exclude 'node_modules,dist,build' --dry-run
$FF --reset ~/Projects
$FF --help

swift test
./build.sh --run
./build.sh --dmg

FolderForge is built with Swift and SwiftUI. Licensed under the MIT License.