🧠 Bulk Renaming Files Using Python: A Simple Guide

Have you ever been stuck with hundreds of files named like IMG_001.jpg, IMG_002.jpg, and thought—“There has to be a better way!” Well, there is—and Python makes it ridiculously easy.

In this blog, we'll explore how to bulk rename files using just a few lines of Python. Whether you're organizing photos, reformatting project files, or cleaning up a download folder, this trick will save you time and sanity.

🛠️ What You’ll Need

Basic knowledge of Python
Python installed on your system
A folder of files that need renaming

We’ll be using the os and pathlib modules, which come built-in with Python—no need to install anything extra.

📁 Step 1: Understanding the Folder Structure

Let’s say you have a folder called images/ with files named like:

IMG_001.jpg
IMG_002.jpg
IMG_003.jpg

And you want to rename them to:

Vacation_001.jpg
Vacation_002.jpg
Vacation_003.jpg

🧾 Step 2: The Python Script

Here's a basic script to get the job done:

import os

folder_path = 'images'  # Change this to your folder
new_prefix = 'Vacation_'

for count, filename in enumerate(os.listdir(folder_path), start=1):
    file_ext = os.path.splitext(filename)[1]
    new_name = f"{new_prefix}{count:03}{file_ext}"
    
    src = os.path.join(folder_path, filename)
    dst = os.path.join(folder_path, new_name)
    
    os.rename(src, dst)
    print(f"Renamed: {filename} -> {new_name}")

🔍 What’s Going On Here?

enumerate() gives us both the index and the filename.
os.path.splitext() splits the filename from its extension.
count:03 ensures numbering like 001, 002, etc.
os.rename() renames the file.
The script prints each change, so you can track what’s happening.

✅ Bonus: Filter by File Type

Want to rename only .jpg files and skip the rest? Just add a quick check:

if filename.endswith('.jpg'):
    # Proceed with renaming

🚨 Safety Tip: Test First

Before running on your actual files, test this on a copy of your folder. Renaming is irreversible unless you write a rollback script.

🧠 Use Cases

Renaming image batches for consistency
Reformatting datasets for machine learning
Organizing downloaded media
Cleaning up messy folders from clients or colleagues

📦 Wrap-Up

Python makes file renaming feel like beautiful. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll start thinking of all kinds of automation possibilities. This is just one small way Python can save you hours of manual clicking.

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