Buzz
If you're struggling with inconsistent file naming every time you save, today's tip will help. I'll share a neat trick to automatically rename files according to specific rules. We'll continue leveraging Automator on Mac for this. Also, I'll briefly discuss my file storage workflow. Feel free to check out my previous Automator guides here:
With this Quick Action, I'll be able to quickly perform the following tasks:File Name: FILE.xxx → 20200815_file_name.xxxfile name.xxx → 20200815_file name.xxxFile Name.xxx → file name.xxxfile name.xxx → file_name.xxx
Execution Steps:
Navigate to Automator on Mac -> Select new Document -> Quick ActionIn the Actions section, navigate to Files & FoldersDrag the Rename Finder Items Action into the Workflow area and configure some parameters to align with the desired naming convention.
Below are some of my customizations you can refer to:Modify Finder Item Names: Incorporate Date or TimeI use this to prepend the creation date to file names. Year/month/day - linked with file name by space and written continuously.
Alter Finder Item Names: Adjust Case
This action helps me convert uppercase letters to lowercase. If by chance I have file names in uppercase, this action will automatically change them back for me.
Rename Finder Items: Substitute Text
This action helps replace spaces with underscores, ensuring consistent file formatting and quicker file retrieval by search software on the machine.
Organize Finder Items
The final action I use is to move that file into a pre-made folder on the Desktop named T-B-F (ready to be filed). This folder will contain all the files I've worked on and may need to use in upcoming tasks. Every 3-4 days, I'll visit this folder to move its contents to my storage areas (iCloud, OneDrive,...).
Afterward, go to File → Save… and save it under the desired name!Enjoy exploring this handy trick!
