Administrator Updated on January 25, 2023 If you have some files that already added to Google Drive and you want to change the name of them all together, you can open them in Google Drive, right-click the title of each file and choose Rename. After that, you can edit the title one by one. But this is a very boring process, especially if you need to rename several files. Luckily, there is a better way to rename multiple files in Google Drive and it's done entirely through the browser.
In storing our files, most of us want them to be as organized as possible. We prefer to categorize files in respective folders and subfolders. Another way to organize files is by naming them correctly. However, there may be a situation wherein we have to rename several files simultaneously, and to do it manually would be such a tiresome chore. Here is a way to rename bulk files in Google Drive.
Renaming bulk files in Windows vs. Google Drive
In Windows, there is a simple method you can do to rename numerous files simultaneously. You can simply select all of the files in a certain folder, and then you can rename them sequentially. However, this is not the case with Google Drive.
There is no command that you can do in Google Drive that allows you to simultaneously rename numerous files. Sure, you can do it if you only have to rename about ten files. But let’s say you have to rename about 100 files sequentially. Now that would be tiresome. Luckily, there are multiple apps that you can download or some add-ons and extensions that allow you to rename bulk files in Google Drive. Here are some of them.
Multiple File Rename for Google Drive
The name of this extension says it all. It is an extension that allows you to rename files in Google Drive. The good thing about this extension is that you can use it for free and that there are no in-app purchases. You have the option to specific files, or you can rename all of the files inside one folder.
This app allows you to rename files in a certain criterion. For example, you can choose to add a prefix before each file once you rename them all, or you can also add a suffix. For images, you have the option to convert them from JPEG image format to PNG image format. This is convenient, especially for numerous files, since it would be easy for you to search a specific file by a keyword.
Bulk Renamer for Google Drive Drive
One simple way to rename the files on your Google Drive is to use the Google Drive sync feature on your personal computer. This means that any changes and edits you make to your files on your computer will also show up on Google Drive. This app, Bulk Renamer, features two different options for you to commence this process much simpler. The two options are Simple Replace and Advanced Replace.
The Simple Replace will look for a keyword and simply replace it with a name you wish. This is a simple, fast method of renaming several files on Google Drive in a single process. The criteria you can use include instances, case sensitive, remove or retain the modification date of the file, etc.
The Advanced rename offers more complex renaming options such as append, prepend, suffix, prefix, timestamp, and many more. If you are unsure as to how these options work, a good idea would be to try it on dummy files or some less important files. Try each option and learn how each one works. That way, you can select the best renaming option for you.
Of course, if you only want to rename your files without much complexity, you can opt for a simple rename. Regardless of your choice, this app is a perfect choice to help you organize your files in Google Drive. It is also fairly easy to use and offers more features than other renaming apps or extensions.
Renaming is a basic way to organize your file on Google Drive. Albeit the process is much simpler in Windows, the extensions and apps above are both easy to use and get the job done. There are many more available apps online, but these two are highly recommended.
Summary: Bulk Rename Files in Google Drive
- Open Google Drive.
- Select the files you want to rename.
- Press “Ctrl-A” to select all items in your Google Drive if you want to rename every file at once.
- Right-click one of the highlighted files and choose “Rename X Items” from the context menu.
- Type a new name for the first file in the “Organize” window that opens.
- Check or uncheck the “Change case” box, if desired, and then click the arrow next to it to choose all upper case, all lower case or capitalized letters, as shown in Figure 1.
- Click “OK” to rename your files.
