Rename PDFs: Patterns That Avoid Duplicate Names

Rename reads the first lines of a PDF and turns them into a filename using tokens such as [TEXT1], [TEXT2], [BASENAME] and [DATE]. The tool is simple; the pattern is the part that decides whether the folder is easier to use afterwards.

Why this comes up

Scanners and exports produce numbered files that say nothing about their contents. Naming them from the page is faster than opening each one, but a careless pattern can create duplicates or expose information you did not mean to put in a filename.

Check before you run it

• Use text that is stable on every file. The first page may begin with a supplier name on one document and a reference number on the next. Check several files before trusting a token to identify the set.
• Keep the pattern short and filesystem-safe. Compose it from [TEXT1], [TEXT2], [BASENAME] and [DATE], and avoid slashes, colons and other reserved characters. A date prefix sorts a folder predictably.
• Test for duplicate names before filing. Two files with the same first-page text will collide. Add [DATE], the basename or a distinguishing token, then open one renamed copy to confirm it matches its contents.

When to reach for it

• A folder of supplier statements needs sorting. Name each file from the supplier and statement date so the folder can be searched without opening every PDF.
• Documents must follow a team naming convention. Build the house pattern once, apply it to each file, and keep the original basename as a fallback token.

One question we get

What are the name patterns?

Use [BASENAME] to keep the original name and wrap anything around it — like [BASENAME]-final — and the download arrives named exactly so.

Where it fits

The tools people usually open next to Rename:

• OCR — Convert PDF scans to searchable text and PDFs. Extract text from scans
• Workflows — Execute series of tasks on PDF documents. Configure tool chains to process PDFs
• Delete Pages — Remove pages from a PDF document.

Every tool works on a copy, so the original file is never touched. Uploads are stored under an unguessable id and deleted automatically two hours after you last open them; nothing is listed, shared or indexed. More on the security page.