Batch rename files on Mac, with a preview and undo
Short answer. Paperlane for Mac renames many files at once from a pattern built with the original name, a counter, the file date, the folder name and find-and-replace. You see every new name before anything changes, and an undo journal can reverse the batch. It renames in place, so it never doubles your disk use.
Three ways to do it
In the app
Open Batch Rename, drop files or a folder, build the pattern, review the preview, and apply.
From Finder
There is no dedicated Quick Action for this tool; drop the files on the Paperlane icon in the Dock or on the menu bar shelf and pick the tool.
With Shortcuts
Use the Run Paperlane Tool action with Batch Rename, for example to date-stamp every file from a folder.
Steps
- Open Batch Rename and drop in the files or a folder.
- Build a pattern from the name, counter, date and text.
- Read the preview and fix any flagged name clashes.
- Apply the rename and keep the undo journal until you are sure.
At a glance
- Behaviour
- Renames in place, with preview and undo journal
- Pattern tokens
- Original name, counter, date, folder name
- Also
- Find and replace (with regular expressions), letter case, number padding
- AI names
- Suggested titles with Apple Intelligence on macOS 26
Honest limitations
- This is the one tool that changes originals: files are renamed in place, so rely on the preview and the undo journal.
- AI-suggested names need Apple Intelligence on macOS 26; on macOS 15 only pattern renaming is available.
Need just one file?
Do one file free in your browser: Rename photos by the date inside them
Questions
Can I undo a batch rename?
Yes. The undo journal reverses the rename as long as the files have not been moved or changed since.
Does it work on files in iCloud Drive?
It renames files the Mac can access; files that are not downloaded yet may need to be downloaded first.
Is there a free web version?
The web has a simpler rename tool for files you pick in the browser, but it cannot rename files in place on disk.