How to use the bulk file renamer
- Add your files. Use Sort by name or Sort by date modified, or move files up and down, because the order controls the numbering.
- Set the rename rules: find and replace, spaces, letter case, text to add at the start or end, numbering, and the date modified. Leave a rule at its default to skip it.
- Look at the Preview table. It shows each original name, the new name and a note when something was fixed or numbered because of a duplicate.
- Press Download renamed files (ZIP). Unzip it to use the renamed copies. A list of old and new names is included if you leave that option on.
Numbering a set of photos
Three files named IMG_001.jpg, IMG_002.jpg and IMG_003.jpg with the find text IMG and the replacement Holiday become Holiday_001.jpg, Holiday_002.jpg and Holiday_003.jpg. The match ignores letter case unless you tick the option, and the extension is never touched by find and replace.
With numbering set to Number replaces name, 4 digits, first number 10 and step 5, three files become 0010.png, 0015.png and 0020.png. With Number before name and the default 2 digits and an underscore, x.png, y.png and z.png become 01_x.png, 02_y.png and 03_z.png.
Why you get a ZIP
A web page cannot rename files on your disk. What it can do is read the files you give it and produce new copies with new names. This tool puts those copies in a ZIP archive, which you unzip into any folder. Your originals are not changed, and the files are not uploaded.
What the rules do
Find and replace works on plain text, not patterns, so characters such as a plus sign or parentheses mean exactly what they look like. Spaces can become underscores or hyphens. Title Case capitalizes the first letter of each word. Numbers are padded with zeros to the width you choose, and the date added is the date the file was last modified, written as year, month and day.
Names are cleaned so they work on Windows, macOS and Linux: characters such as slashes, colons, question marks and quotes become underscores, edges are trimmed, names that Windows reserves get an underscore in front, and names longer than 200 characters are shortened. Two files that end up with the same name get a number in brackets. See also the case converter, the slug generator and the ZIP file creator.
Assumptions and limits
- The date comes from the modified time your browser reports for each file, in your local time zone.
- At most 500 files, 25 MB each and 100 MB in total, can be processed at a time.
- Names are compared without regard to upper and lower case, because some systems treat them as the same.
- Folder structure is not kept. Only the files you choose are renamed.
Frequently asked questions
How can I rename many files at once without software?
Add the files here, set rules such as find and replace or numbering, check the preview and download a ZIP of the renamed copies. Unzip it into a folder to use them.
Will my original files be changed?
No. The tool makes renamed copies inside a ZIP. The files on your device stay exactly as they were, and nothing is uploaded.
How do I add numbers to file names in order?
Choose a numbering position, set the first number, step and minimum digits, and order the files in the list. Files are numbered in the order shown.
What happens if two files get the same new name?
The second one gets a number in brackets, such as photo (2).jpg, and the preview marks it. Names are compared without regard to capitals.