{"id":"moving-folders.what-are-auto-rules","url":"/faq/moving-folders/what-are-auto-rules","category":{"id":"moving-folders","title":"Moving folders"},"subcategory":{"id":"rules","title":"Rules and Auto Rules"},"question":"What are Auto Rules?","alt_questions":["What does the Auto rules tile do?","Rules that fit my Mac automatically","auto rules storage studio","What is the Rule Optimizer?","Does Storage Studio make its own rules?"],"short_answer":"Auto Rules are rules Storage Studio builds to fit your Mac. The safest regenerable caches are applied automatically; anything less obvious is suggested, tagged Move or Delete, and waits for your approval. Your own rules are never changed.","answer_markdown":"Auto Rules are clean-up and move rules Storage Studio builds to fit *your* Mac, based on the apps and caches you actually have — so a newly installed app is kept tidy without you editing a list. Open them from the **Auto rules** tile on the Home screen.\n\nThey come in three groups:\n\n- **Applied automatically** — the safest, fully regenerable caches your apps rebuild on their own.\n- **Suggested — needs your approval** — anything less obvious, tagged **Move** or **Delete**, with why it's safe and roughly how much it would free.\n- **Dismissed — reclaim anytime** — anything you dismissed, with **Restore** to bring it back.\n\nYour own hand-written rules are kept separate and never changed. Guide: [Auto Rules](/manual/auto-rules).","answer_html":"

Auto Rules are clean-up and move rules Storage Studio builds to fit your Mac, based on the apps and caches you actually have — so a newly installed app is kept tidy without you editing a list. Open them from the Auto rules tile on the Home screen.

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They come in three groups:

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Your own hand-written rules are kept separate and never changed. Guide: Auto Rules.

","answer_text":"Auto Rules are clean-up and move rules Storage Studio builds to fit your Mac, based on the apps and caches you actually have — so a newly installed app is kept tidy without you editing a list. Open them from the Auto rules tile on the Home screen.\n\nThey come in three groups:\n\n- Applied automatically — the safest, fully regenerable caches your apps rebuild on their own.\n- Suggested — needs your approval — anything less obvious, tagged Move or Delete, with why it's safe and roughly how much it would free.\n- Dismissed — reclaim anytime — anything you dismissed, with Restore to bring it back.\n\nYour own hand-written rules are kept separate and never changed. Guide: Auto Rules.","tags":["auto rules","rules","suggestions"],"related":[{"id":"moving-folders.how-do-i-approve-or-dismiss-auto-rule-suggestions","question":"How do I approve or dismiss an Auto Rules suggestion?","url":"/faq/moving-folders/how-do-i-approve-or-dismiss-auto-rule-suggestions"},{"id":"moving-folders.how-do-i-stop-auto-rules-applying-anything-automatically","question":"How do I make Auto Rules suggest only and never apply anything on their own?","url":"/faq/moving-folders/how-do-i-stop-auto-rules-applying-anything-automatically"},{"id":"moving-folders.what-are-move-rules","question":"What are move rules in Storage Studio?","url":"/faq/moving-folders/what-are-move-rules"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"What are Auto Rules? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"Auto Rules are rules Storage Studio builds to fit your Mac. The safest regenerable caches are applied automatically; anything less obvious is suggested, tagged Move or Delete, and waits for your approval. Your own rules are never changed.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"Moving folders","path":"/faq/moving-folders/"},{"name":"What are Auto Rules?","path":"/faq/moving-folders/what-are-auto-rules"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/moving-folders/what-are-auto-rules","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"What are Auto Rules?","alternateName":["What does the Auto rules tile do?","Rules that fit my Mac automatically","auto rules storage studio","What is the Rule Optimizer?","Does Storage Studio make its own rules?"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Auto Rules are clean-up and move rules Storage Studio builds to fit your Mac, based on the apps and caches you actually have — so a newly installed app is kept tidy without you editing a list. Open them from the Auto rules tile on the Home screen.\n\nThey come in three groups:\n\n- Applied automatically — the safest, fully regenerable caches your apps rebuild on their own.\n- Suggested — needs your approval — anything less obvious, tagged Move or Delete, with why it's safe and roughly how much it would free.\n- Dismissed — reclaim anytime — anything you dismissed, with Restore to bring it back.\n\nYour own hand-written rules are kept separate and never changed. Guide: Auto Rules.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/moving-folders/what-are-auto-rules"}}]},"fragment":"
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Moving folders · Rules and Auto Rules

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What are Auto Rules?

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Short answer: Auto Rules are rules Storage Studio builds to fit your Mac. The safest regenerable caches are applied automatically; anything less obvious is suggested, tagged Move or Delete, and waits for your approval. Your own rules are never changed.

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Auto Rules are clean-up and move rules Storage Studio builds to fit your Mac, based on the apps and caches you actually have — so a newly installed app is kept tidy without you editing a list. Open them from the Auto rules tile on the Home screen.

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They come in three groups:

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  • Applied automatically — the safest, fully regenerable caches your apps rebuild on their own.
  • Suggested — needs your approval — anything less obvious, tagged Move or Delete, with why it's safe and roughly how much it would free.
  • Dismissed — reclaim anytime — anything you dismissed, with Restore to bring it back.
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Your own hand-written rules are kept separate and never changed. Guide: Auto Rules.

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Last reviewed

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Related questions

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