File Renaming on upload Pro

Renaming a published file means changing its address

You uploaded "IMG_4032.jpg" a year ago and today you want it named after the product. You rename it, and unless someone updates the references, the image stops showing in the posts that used it, in the custom field that stored it and anywhere that pointed to the old address.

The cost of a badly chosen name is not paid when you upload the file but when you fix it, because every place that cites it has to learn about the change.

File Renaming on Upload Pro renames files at upload time according to rules you define, and can also rename the library that already exists. When it changes a name, it updates the attachment URL, the references in content and the custom field values, and regenerates srcset and sizes. That is why it pays to set the pattern before the first file arrives.

How a name is built and how each rule is limited

• Patterns with placeholders that combine fixed text and data such as {post_title}, {post_slug}, {date}, {count}, {user_role}, {username}, {tax_term}, {sku} and {product_title}.
• Name sources: post title, slug and ID, site URL, date, WooCommerce SKU and product title, custom fields, taxonomy terms, user data or custom strings. If the post has no title, it can fall back to {filename}.
• Rules by scope: each one is limited by post type, user role, file type or taxonomy, and an empty scope applies to all uploads.
• Name cleanup: removes accents, special characters, spaces, parentheses and non-Latin characters, converts German umlauts to ae, oe, ue and ss, and offers case and separator options.
• Alt text and image title filled from the file name.
• Bulk renaming under Tools, Bulk Rename: it runs in the background over the whole library, with visible progress and pause, and updates the links in content.
• Scheduled renaming through cron and manual editing from the media editor.

It supports images, video, audio and documents such as PDF, DOCX and XLSX.

A store with the SKU in every image name

This combination is our own and should be tested before applying it to the whole library. In a WooCommerce store, create a rule limited to the product post type with the pattern {sku}-{product_title}-{count}, which builds the name from the SKU, the product title and a counter.

Upload an image to a test product and check the resulting name and that the image still displays on the product page. If it is right, run the bulk rename on a small set.

What the tool covers and what you decide

Rules are limited by post type, role, file type or taxonomy. For finer cases there are filter hooks, a WP-CLI command for scripted bulk operations and a REST endpoint.

Because bulk renaming modifies names and references of files already displayed on your site, make a backup and test it first with a few files.

Installing and creating the first rule

It works with WooCommerce, ACF, BuddyBoss, Gravity Forms, WPForms, Yoast SEO, Rank Math, WPML and Polylang, and supports multisite and the REST API.

1. Install the plugin with the WordPress installer and activate it.
2. Open the WPFactory menu, File Renaming on Upload, Settings.
3. Review the General, Advanced and Compatibility tabs, and create your first rule under Rules with its pattern and scope.
4. Upload a test file and check the name. When it is right, use Tools, Bulk Rename for the existing library.

File renamers to compare

The catalog also has Media File Renamer Pro, another plugin for renaming media library files.

Answers about File Renaming on Upload Pro

Does it also rename what I already uploaded?

Yes, with Tools, Bulk Rename, which works in the background over the whole library, shows progress and can be paused.

Do the links in my posts break?

When renaming it updates the attachment URL, the references in content and the custom field values.

Can I use a different name per content type?

Yes. Each rule has its own pattern and scope, by post type, role, file type or taxonomy.