Rename Files

Rename a Single Item

Select a single item in the Finder and press the Return or Enter key. This enters rename mode. The current file name is already selected so you can simply type, thereby replacing the current name with the new name.

Or, if you prefer, you can click or use keyboard navigation tricks (see Natural Selection) to place the cursor and retain a portion of the current name in the new name.

Feel free to type almost any characters you like to specify your desired name of the item. However, due to how computers define folder hierarchies, it’s best not to use a colon (:), slash (/), or backslash (\) in the filename. (Some applications may forcefully prevent you from doing so.) Also, don’t begin the name with a period unless you want the item to be invisible.

When you’re done typing the new name, simply press Return again.

Rename Multiple Items

The Finder supports rudimentary bulk renaming. You can multi-select items (see Multi-Select & Act) and choose File > Rename… or right-click the selected items and choose Rename… from the contextual menu. This will show a dialog with three choices for how to rename the items:

• Replace Text: In this find-and-replace approach, you specify a string of characters that appears in multiple filenames and another string that you want in the filenames instead. If you simply want to delete the former string, make the Replace with field blank.
• Add Text: This option enables you to add a string of characters to the beginning (before name) or end (after name) of the filename for each of the selected files.
• Format: Here you can identify a Name Format (Name and Index; Name and Counter; Name and Date); specify the foundation of the filename in the Custom Format field; indicate whether the index, counter, or date should appear before or after the name; and choose what number to begin an index or counter.

After you’ve set up your rename process, click Rename and watch as your items magically change name to your specifications.