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Documents2024-12-247 min read
Document Renamer: How to Rename Documents in Bulk
Document Renamer: How to Rename Documents in Bulk
Business documents multiply fast. Word files, Excel spreadsheets, PDFs, presentations - all with vague names that make finding anything a nightmare.
Common Document Naming Problems
- Report.docx (which report?)
- Final version.xlsx (final as of when?)
- Presentation v2.pptx (v2 of what?)
- Notes.txt (notes about what?)
Document Naming Best Practices
Include Key Information
[type]-[subject]-[date]-[version].ext
report-quarterly-sales-2024-q1-v2.docxUse Consistent Formatting - Lowercase letters - Hyphens between words - Dates in YYYY-MM-DD format - Version numbers at the end
Be Descriptive Bad: meeting.docx Good: meeting-notes-marketing-strategy-2024-01-15.docx
Bulk Document Renaming Methods
File Explorer (Windows) 1. Select documents 2. Press F2 3. Type base name 4. Sequential numbers added
Finder (Mac) 1. Select documents 2. Right-click → Rename 3. Choose format options 4. Apply to all
PowerShell Scripts
Get-ChildItem *.docx | ForEach-Object {
$date = $_.LastWriteTime.ToString("yyyy-MM-dd")
Rename-Item $_ "document-$date-$($_.Name)"
}AI-Powered Renaming [File Renamer AI](/app) reads document content to generate names: - contract-nda-smith-corp-2024.pdf - proposal-website-redesign-q1.docx - invoice-consulting-january.xlsx
Organizing Document Libraries
/Documents/
├── contracts/
│ ├── active/
│ └── archived/
├── reports/
│ └── 2024/
├── proposals/
├── invoices/
└── templates/Version Control for Documents
Option 1: Version in filename
proposal-v1.docx
proposal-v2.docx
proposal-v3-final.docxOption 2: Date-based versions
proposal-2024-01-10.docx
proposal-2024-01-15.docx
proposal-2024-01-20-approved.docxBest Document Renamer Tools
- File Renamer AI - AI understands document content
- Bulk Rename Utility - Free, powerful patterns
- A Better Finder Rename - Mac integration
- Advanced Renamer - Metadata support
Try File Renamer AI - Organize your documents intelligently.