PowerRename
Batch-rename files with regular expressions directly from Finder. Write a search pattern and replacement string, preview exactly what every filename will become, then apply — all without a Terminal window.
Getting Started
PowerRename is disabled by default. To enable it:
- Open ProToys from your menu bar.
- Navigate to File Tools.
- Toggle PowerRename to On.
PowerRename has no keyboard shortcut — you launch it from Finder's right-click menu.
How to Use
- In Finder, select the files you want to rename (one or more).
- Right-click and choose PowerRename with ProToys.
- The PowerRename panel opens, showing the selected files in a list.
- Enter a search pattern (regular expression) in the search field.
- Enter a replacement string in the replacement field. Use
$1,$2, etc. for capture groups. - The file list updates in real time to show the original filename and the renamed result side by side.
- Review the preview. Adjust the pattern or replacement until the results look correct.
- Click Apply to rename the files.
If a filename does not match the search pattern it is shown unchanged in the preview and will not be modified when you apply.
Preview
The preview column shows each file's original name alongside its computed new name. Files that will not change are clearly distinguished from files that will be renamed. No files are touched until you click Apply.
Applying Renames
Files are renamed in place — they stay in the same folder, and no copies are made. When it's done, you'll see a summary of how many were renamed successfully and how many were skipped (e.g. because of a permission issue or a name conflict).
Regex Examples
| Goal | Search | Replace |
|---|---|---|
| Add prefix | ^ |
2024- |
| Remove spaces | \s+ |
_ |
| Change extension | \.jpeg$ |
.jpg |
| Swap date format | (\d{2})-(\d{2})-(\d{4}) |
$3-$1-$2 |
| Remove trailing numbers | \s*\(\d+\)$ |
(empty) |