Rename Files
Batch rename PDFs with chainable find & replace patterns
Stack as many rename patterns as you need. Literal text or regex. Live preview. Rename in place or save copies with the original folder structure intact.
Download Complimentary TrialHow It Works
Three steps from messy filenames to a clean archive
Add Patterns
Add one or more find/replace patterns. Each pattern has its own Find, Replace, and regex toggles. Patterns are evaluated in order and the output of each pattern feeds directly into the next.
Preview
The live preview pane shows every loaded file with its current name and its proposed new name side-by-side. Rows that will actually change are highlighted so you can catch mistakes before committing.
Execute
Choose the output mode — Rename in place (overwrite) or Save to a folder — and run. Every file is processed in sequence with a progress log you can export.
Key Capabilities
Rename that actually scales past Explorer
Pattern Editor
- Unlimited find/replace patterns per run
- Per-pattern enable/disable toggle
- Literal text or regular expression matching
- Regex capture groups with $1, $2 backreferences
- Patterns chain — each feeds the next
Preview & Safety
- Live side-by-side preview of original and new names
- Changed rows highlighted for quick review
- Skips files where no pattern matches — no accidental overwrites
- Safe in-place rename (handles case-only changes correctly)
- Full operation log with every rename recorded
Output Modes
- Rename in place (overwrite) — update files where they live
- Save to folder — copy renamed files to a new destination
- Preserve subfolders option keeps your directory layout
- Open output folder straight from the app when done
- Fail-isolated: one bad file doesn’t stop the batch
Pipeline Integration
- Drop Rename into a Batch Pipeline as the final step
- Rename after Find & Replace, Optimize, Sign, etc.
- Overwrite label auto-switches to “Rename in place” in the pipeline
- Works with the same preview and pattern editor
- Save the whole pipeline config for reuse
Use Cases
Everyday rename jobs, done in seconds
Strip Draft Prefixes
An engineering team finalizes 400 spec documents. One literal pattern removes “DRAFT_” from every filename in a single pass — no more hand-editing in Explorer.
Reformat Dates in Filenames
An accounting firm normalizes invoice filenames from MM-DD-YYYY to YYYY-MM-DD for sortable archives. A single regex pattern rewrites every filename with capture groups.
Client Deliverable Packaging
A consulting shop tags finished reports with client codes. Three chained patterns strip internal tokens, insert the client code, and append a version stamp — 200 files, one click.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use regular expressions to rename PDF files?
Yes. Each rename pattern can be marked as regex for the Find field, the Replace field, or both. Use capture groups in the Find pattern and reference them with $1, $2, etc. in the Replace field — for example, turn Invoice_2024_001.pdf into 2024-001_Invoice.pdf with a single pattern.
Can I chain multiple rename patterns?
Yes. Patterns run in order and each pattern operates on the output of the previous one. You can combine literal replacements, regex transformations, and case changes in a single run — for example, strip a prefix with one pattern, reformat the date with a second, and append a tag with a third.
Will Rename preserve my folder structure?
Yes. When you choose “Save to folder” as the output mode, the “Preserve subfolders” option recreates the original directory layout under the destination folder. If you choose “Rename in place (overwrite)”, files stay exactly where they are — only their filenames change.
Can I preview the new filenames before renaming?
Yes. The preview pane updates live as you edit patterns. It shows the original filename alongside the proposed new filename and highlights rows where a change will actually occur, so you can spot mistakes before anything is written to disk.
Can Rename run as part of a multi-step pipeline?
Yes. The Batch Pipeline module can include Rename as its final step, so files are processed through your workflow (find/replace, optimize, sign, etc.) and then renamed on the way out — all in a single click.
Clean up hundreds of filenames in one pass.
Chainable find/replace patterns, live preview, safe in-place renaming. Complimentary 14-day trial.
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