Batch Rename in Action: Solutions for 10 Everyday Scenarios

Enough reading about features -- let's actually do something. This guide walks you through 10 of the most common batch renaming situations, with exact steps for each one.

Scenario 1: Add a Date Prefix to Your Files

What you want: Add today's date to the front of every file, like 2026-05-01_

Steps:

1. Add a "Date" rule
2. Choose "Add Date" as the mode
3. Enter YYYY-MM-DD_ as the date format
4. Set the position to "Prefix"

Result: Report.docx becomes 2026-05-01_Report.docx

Scenario 2: Strip Annoying Watermarks from Filenames

What you want: Remove [www.example.com] from filenames like [www.example.com]MovieTitle.mkv

Steps:

1. Add a "Find and Replace" rule
2. In the "Find" field, type [www.example.com]
3. Leave the "Replace" field empty

Result: [www.example.com]MovieTitle.mkv becomes MovieTitle.mkv

If the watermark format varies, switch to a regex rule:

1. Add a "Regex" rule
2. Enter \[[\w.]+\] as the pattern
3. Leave the replacement empty

This catches any [xxx.xxx]-style tag in one go.

Scenario 3: Number Your Files in Order

What you want: Add a three-digit number to the front of each file, like 001_filename

Steps:

1. Add a "Sequence Formatting" rule
2. Set the starting number to 1
3. Set the digit count to 3
4. Set the position to "Prefix"
5. Enter _ as the separator (Pro feature)

Result:

• PhotoA.jpg becomes 001_PhotoA.jpg
• PhotoB.jpg becomes 002_PhotoB.jpg
• PhotoC.jpg becomes 003_PhotoC.jpg

Scenario 4: Standardize Date Formats in Filenames

What you want: Convert dates like 20260501 to the more readable 2026-05-01

Steps:

1. Add a "Date" rule
2. Choose "Replace Date Format" as the mode
3. Enter YYYYMMDD as the original format
4. Enter YYYY-MM-DD as the target format

Result: 20260501_Meeting_Notes.docx becomes 2026-05-01_Meeting_Notes.docx

If your filenames contain multiple dates, use a regex rule for precise matching:

1. Add a "Regex" rule
2. Enter (\d{4})(\d{2})(\d{2}) as the pattern
3. Enter $1-$2-$3 as the replacement

Scenario 5: Remove Parentheses and Their Contents

What you want: Strip out all parenthesized text from filenames

Steps:

1. Add a "Clean Characters" rule
2. Select which bracket types to clean: (), [], {}
3. Enable "Remove extra spaces"

Result: Document(copy)(1).docx becomes Document.docx

Note: This rule automatically handles both half-width and full-width parentheses.

Scenario 6: Convert Chinese Characters to Pinyin

What you want: Turn Chinese filenames into their pinyin equivalents

Steps:

1. Add a "Transform" rule
2. Enable "Chinese to Pinyin"
3. Set a separator (e.g., _)

Result: 你好世界.txt becomes ni_hao_shi_jie.txt

If you only want to convert part of a filename, combine this with other rules. For instance, use "Insert Text" to add a prefix first, then apply the transform rule only to the remaining portion.

Scenario 7: Rename Photos by Their Shooting Date

What you want: Read the EXIF capture date from photos and use it as the filename

Steps:

1. Add a "Metadata" rule
2. Enter ${photo.dateTime:YYYY-MM-DD_HH-mm-ss} as the template
3. Set the position to "Replace"

Result: DSC_0001.jpg becomes 2026-05-01_14-30-25.jpg

You can also combine this with a sequence number:

1. First add a "Metadata" rule: ${photo.date:YYYY-MM-DD}
2. Then add a "Sequence Formatting" rule: three-digit number, prefix position

Result: DSC_0001.jpg becomes 001_2026-05-01.jpg

Scenario 8: Swap "Artist - Title" to "Title - Artist"

What you want: Flip the order from Taylor Swift - Love Story.mp3 to Love Story - Taylor Swift.mp3

Steps:

1. Add a "Swap Parts" rule
2. Enter - as the separator (note the spaces)

Result: Taylor Swift - Love Story.mp3 becomes Love Story - Taylor Swift.mp3

Scenario 9: Fix Incorrect File Extensions

What you want: Some files have the wrong extension -- you need to correct them based on actual file content

Steps:

1. Add a "Fix Extension" rule
2. Choose whether to fix only archives or all file types

Result:

• file.zip111 becomes file.zip
• photo.jpg.png (actually a jpg) becomes photo.jpg

This rule reads the file's magic bytes to determine the true file type.

Scenario 10: Describe What You Want in Plain English

What you want: Skip the configuration entirely -- just describe what you need

Steps:

1. Click the AI floating button
2. Type what you need, for example: "Replace all spaces with underscores and add a date prefix"
3. AI generates a rule set automatically
4. Preview the results, and apply if you're happy

Best for: When you're not sure which rule to use, when your needs are complex and require multiple rules, or when you're using the app for the first time and want to get started quickly.

Combining Rules

Most of the scenarios above can be handled with a single rule. In practice, though, you'll often need to chain multiple rules together.

Example: Organizing downloaded music files

Original filename: [320K]Taylor Swift - Love Story (Live).mp3

Goal: 001_Taylor_Swift_Love_Story.mp3

Steps:

1. Clean Characters: Remove parenthesized content -- [320K]Taylor Swift - Love Story.mp3
2. Find and Replace: Delete [320K] -- Taylor Swift - Love Story.mp3
3. Find and Replace: Replace - with _ -- Taylor_Swift_Love_Story.mp3
4. Sequence Formatting: Add a three-digit prefix -- 001_Taylor_Swift_Love_Story.mp3

Four rules, one execution, every file renamed in a single pass.

Wrapping Up

Batch renaming really comes down to two ideas:

1. Break it down: Split a complex renaming task into simple steps
2. Pick the right rule: Map each step to a specific rule

Once you get the hang of this, no renaming task is too complex. And if you're ever unsure which rule to reach for, just ask the AI -- describe what you need and let it handle the rest.