Fast, accurate file renaming for Windows users — list files, edit in Excel, and bulk rename with confidence.

Bulk Rename files and Folders on Windows - Videographers's Guide

After a busy project_folder you may return with hundreds or thousands of and MP4 files named like clip001.mp4. device filenames are fine for storage, but make it hard to find, sort, and deliver work. Adopting a consistent naming pattern — for example client_project_20251026_scene01_take001.mp4 — makes client delivery, archiving, and future searches much faster and far less error-prone.

Approx. 4 min read • Keywords: bulk rename files, list files in folder, list files in Excel
File Renaming for Videographers

Why file naming matters for Videographers

After a busy project_folder you may return with hundreds or thousands of and MP4 files named like clip001.mp4. device filenames are fine for storage, but make it hard to find, sort, and deliver work. Adopting a consistent naming pattern — for example client_project_20251026_scene01_take001.mp4 — makes client delivery, archiving, and future searches much faster and far less error-prone.

An Excel-first workflow helps you do this reliably: the app lists every file in a folder, you update the New Name column in Excel (manually or via simple formulas), then import and apply the bulk rename with a preview step.

Step-by-step: from listing to renaming

Step 1 — List your files

Drop your project_folder (e.g. "project_example") containing files.

Pro Tip: Rename each project folder with a clear date and description, like FILE_2025-10-28_ProjectName, to keep files searchable.

Step 2 — Open in Excel

In Excel you'll see the exported columns and an editable New Name column. You only need to update that column — either type names directly or generate them with formulas. The app manages the other columns behind the scenes to keep rows matched to files.

Step 3 — Build your new names

Use Excel to automate repetitive naming — for example, combine client, date and sequence into a pattern: =Client & "_" & TEXT(Date,"yyyymmdd") & "_" & TEXT(Seq,"000"). Excel handles sequences, padding, and date formatting so you don't type hundreds of names manually.

Step 4 — Validate and clean up

Quick checks catch the usual problems: duplicates and illegal characters. Use a helper COUNTIF to spot duplicates. The app also detects invalid or locked files during import/rename and will skip affected rows while creating a log so you can review them later. Temporary helper columns (e.g., Client or Notes) are fine while working — delete them before saving if you like.

Step 5 — Import, preview, and apply

Save the edited sheet and load it back into the app. You’ll see a clear before-and-after preview of each filename. Review the preview, then click Rename. The app applies the changes quickly and produces a log of any skipped items for your records.

Pro Tip: Use Excel filters to group shots by date or client so sequences remain consistent. A simple pattern like Client_Date_Sequence works well for delivery and long-term archiving.

Example naming templates

Note: Edit only the New Name column. The app handles other columns and will report any skipped / locked files in the rename log. Temporary columns may be used while editing and can be deleted before saving.
Rename thousands of files confidently.
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