As of 13 August 2026, AI can only partly rename your files in bulk.

What to actually do

1. Hand it to a person

   The route this page recommends

   A person who owns the outcome does this end to end, worth it when the failure is dear.

2. Use a tool built for this

   Second choice

3. Do it yourself

   The distant third

   A chat interface, power-user skill, and roughly 30 minutes until you can act on the result.

   How to actually do it

   1. Make a copy of the folder, then open the copy in File Explorer, Finder or your file manager and note its full folder path.
   2. Create a plain-text file containing the current filenames, one filename per line, and remove any files you do not want renamed from the test copy.
   3. Open ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini, paste the prompt, and replace the bracketed sections with your operating system, folder path, sample filenames and exact naming rules.
   4. Paste the returned script into the appropriate text editor, save it using the file extension the instructions specify, and do not run the apply command yet.
   5. Run the script in dry-run mode against the copied folder and save or copy the table of original and proposed names.
   6. Compare every proposed name in the dry-run table with your naming rules and check that no proposed name is duplicated or already exists in the folder.
   7. Run the apply command only on the copied folder after the comparison is complete, then open several renamed files and check that their contents and extensions are unchanged.
   8. Repeat the approved command on the original folder only after the copied-folder result is correct, keeping the backup until the renamed files have been checked.

   Prompt

   I need to rename files in bulk on [Windows / macOS / Linux]. The folder is [folder path]. Here are representative current filenames:
   [ paste filenames here ]
   
   Rename them according to these rules:
   [ describe the exact naming rules, including prefixes, dates, numbering, replacement text and what must stay unchanged ]
   
   Create a script for my operating system that:
   1. Shows a dry-run table containing each original filename and proposed new filename.
   2. Makes no changes during the dry run.
   3. Refuses to overwrite an existing file.
   4. Handles duplicate proposed names clearly instead of guessing.
   5. Preserves file extensions unless I explicitly say otherwise.
   6. Ignores subfolders unless I explicitly request recursive processing.
   7. Stops and reports errors rather than continuing silently.
   8. Includes a separate command or clearly marked switch for applying the changes after I approve the dry run.
   
   Explain exactly how to save and run it, how to create a backup first, and how to undo the changes. Do not invent filenames or infer missing rules. Ask one concise question if the operating system or naming rule is unclear.

   Open it prefilled in ChatGPT or Claude, or copy it into Gemini, which takes no prefill link.