How do I rename a PDF file?

Select the PDF and press Return on macOS or F2 on Windows, type the new name, then press Return or Enter to confirm. This changes only the filename, so the content inside the PDF stays exactly the same.

Can I auto rename PDF files based on content?

Yes. NameQuick opens each PDF, reads the selectable text or runs OCR on scans, and extracts fields like date, vendor, amount, and invoice number to build a content-based filename. You preview every suggested name and approve it before any file changes, so names like scan_001.pdf become readable filenames you control.

Can I batch rename PDF files on Mac?

Yes. Add a folder of PDFs, choose a template or a plain-English prompt, and NameQuick proposes a filename for each one in a single preview. You review the whole batch and apply the rename only when the names look right, so a large folder is handled in one pass.

Can I rename scanned PDFs with OCR?

Yes. When a PDF has no selectable text because it came from a scanner, phone, or copier, NameQuick runs OCR to read the page first. It then uses that text to identify vendors, dates, amounts, IDs, and document types, the same way it handles text-based PDFs. OCR runs on your Mac using Apple's on-device text recognition.

Will NameQuick change the contents of my PDFs, or only the filename?

Only the filename changes. NameQuick reads a PDF to suggest a name but never edits, re-saves, or modifies its contents, so the document stays identical. You preview every suggested name before it is applied, and a rename history lets you undo any batch and restore the original filenames in one click.

What if NameQuick suggests a wrong filename?

You review every suggestion before it is applied, so a wrong name never reaches your files unreviewed. Each proposed filename appears in a preview first, where you can edit it, reject it, or adjust the template or prompt and preview again. If you only notice an issue after running a batch, the rename history lets you undo it in one click.

Can I preview PDF filenames before applying them?

Yes. NameQuick shows the proposed filename for every PDF before it changes any file. From the preview you can edit the template, refine the prompt, reject individual suggestions, or spot a duplicate name, and the rename runs only once the previews look right.

Can I undo a batch PDF rename?

Yes. NameQuick keeps a rename history, so you can undo a batch in one click and restore the original filenames. Only the filename is ever changed, so undoing returns the files to their starting state.

Is my data private? Can I keep PDFs on my Mac?

It depends on the AI mode you choose. With a local model through Ollama or LM Studio, nothing leaves your Mac. With your own cloud API key, text PDFs send only the extracted text and your prompt to the provider you chose, while scans and images send the page image for visual analysis. With Managed AI, file content is processed through NameQuick's EU-routed service for renaming only and is never stored or used for training. In every mode, OCR runs on your Mac and files are never uploaded for storage.

Do I need a credit card for the free PDF renamer trial?

No, not for the Self-Managed trial. It gives you 50 in-app renames with no credit card, using your own AI provider key or a local model. The separate Managed AI option has a 14-day trial that starts in checkout and requires a payment method, though you are not charged during the trial. With Self-Managed you can run the trial on your own PDFs without a card.

What happens after the 50 free renames, and what does it cost?

After the Self-Managed trial of 50 renames, you choose one of two paths. A one-time $69 Standard License unlocks one device and keeps using your own AI key or a local model. Or Managed AI, a usage-based subscription from $12 per month for 500 renames, with annual options. The trial needs no card, so you can confirm the results on a real folder before paying.

What is the difference between Self-Managed and Managed AI?

Self-Managed (BYOK) uses your own AI provider key or a local model through Ollama or LM Studio. It includes 50 renames with no credit card, and a one-time $69 Standard License unlocks one device. Managed AI is a usage-based subscription you select in checkout, from $12 per month for 500 renames, with a 14-day trial that needs a payment method but no charge during the trial. Choose Self-Managed if you already have a key or want everything local; choose Managed if you would rather not configure any keys.

Does NameQuick work on my Mac?

Yes. NameQuick is a native macOS app and runs on modern macOS. Local AI models through MLX need an Apple Silicon Mac, while your own cloud key or Managed AI works on any supported Mac. Download the no-card trial to confirm it on your machine.

Can NameQuick rename files other than PDFs?

Yes. NameQuick is a content-based renamer that handles 30+ formats across documents, images, audio, and video, not only PDFs, so a mixed folder works in one pass. Supported formats can depend on the AI provider you choose. See Supported File Formats for the full list.

Can I rename invoices, receipts, and contracts differently, and automate it later?

Yes. Build a separate template for each type, such as invoices, receipts, contracts, and tax forms. For a mixed folder, a custom prompt can read each file and apply the right naming per document type in plain English. Once a pattern is reliable, turn it into a Watch Folder so new PDFs dropped into Downloads or your scanner output folder are renamed automatically, with Rules to move or tag them.

Rename PDF Files Based on Content

Use NameQuick as an AI PDF renamer for Mac: read PDF text or OCR scans, create useful filenames, and review every suggested name before anything changes.

Test NameQuick on the PDF folder you actually need to clean up. Preview every suggested filename, approve only the names that work, and undo any rename if needed.

Try it on your PDFs

NameQuick

IMG_20240315_143022.pdf

2024-03-15_ACME_Invoice_$1240.pdf

Invoice

download (3).pdf

2024-03-14_Starbucks_Receipt_$7.80.pdf

Receipt

scan0047.pdf

2024_Service_Agreement_XYZ_Corp.pdf

Contract

DOC20240215.pdf

2024_Tax_Return_Form_1040.pdf

Tax Doc

How to rename a PDF file (any system, 30 seconds)

To rename a PDF file, select it and press Return (macOS) or F2 (Windows), type the new name, and confirm — the content inside the PDF stays untouched, and only the filename changes.

On a Mac (Finder)

Select the PDF in Finder with a single click, without opening it.
Press Return, or right-click and choose Rename.
Type the new name, keeping the .pdf ending.
Press Return to confirm.

On Windows (File Explorer)

Select the PDF in File Explorer with a single click.
Press F2, or right-click and choose Rename.
Type the new name, keeping the .pdf ending.
Press Enter to confirm.

In a browser or cloud drive: In Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive, right-click the PDF, choose Rename, type the new name, and confirm.

Renaming one PDF like this takes seconds; the real work is a folder of fifty scanned PDFs that each need a meaningful name, which is what content-based renaming — the subject of this page — does for the whole batch at once.

How it works

Most PDF renamers only see the existing filename. NameQuick opens the file and reads what is actually inside: for digital PDFs it reads the selectable text directly, and for scans, photos, and copier output it runs OCR first. From that text it identifies the fields that make a filename useful, then formats them into the template or prompt you chose.

Manually

Open each PDF
Read to find the date, vendor, amount
Type a descriptive filename
Repeat for every file

Opening every PDF is the slow part

With NameQuick

Drop a real messy batch
Pick a template or prompt
Preview every suggested name
Apply the batch or undo

Preview every name before applying

What NameQuick reads from each PDF

Dates. Invoice dates, effective dates, statement periods, and signing dates.
Names. Vendors, merchants, clients, counterparties, and authors.
Amounts. Totals, balances, and currency on invoices and receipts.
Identifiers. Invoice numbers, reference IDs, account and matter numbers.
Document type. Invoice, receipt, contract, statement, tax form, or report.
Titles and parties. Agreement names, paper titles, and the parties on a contract.

Get started in 3 steps

Add a real PDF batch

Start with real files from the folder you actually need to clean up: invoices, receipts, contracts, scans, research papers, or admin PDFs. Drag them into NameQuick, or select files from Finder and use the menu bar icon or keyboard shortcut. Add a Watch Folder later, after the pattern is reliable.

Choose a template or prompt

Pick a preset template for your document type, or write a custom prompt for mixed PDFs. NameQuick can read selectable PDF text and use OCR for scanned PDFs, then extract fields such as dates, vendors, amounts, titles, invoice IDs, parties, or authors.

Preview, refine, then run

Preview every suggested filename before anything changes. Check dates, vendors, document types, collisions, and formatting. Refine the template or prompt if needed, then run the batch rename only when the names look right. You can undo after applying.

Test it on your real PDFs first

Try it on your own PDFs before you pay. NameQuick previews every filename and lets you undo. Start with the no-card 50-rename trial, or choose Managed in checkout.

★★★★★

Joinhappy customers

Try it on your PDFs

“A pretty nifty little app that intelligently names things like screenshots and PDFs based on their contents.”

Templates for every use case

Perfect for vendor invoices, bills, and payment requests. Extracts date, company name, invoice number, and total amount.

New Template

Template name

Fields

Choose the details you want NameQuick to find.

Invoice Date

Vendor Name

Invoice Number

Total Amount

Optional

Suggested fields

Due Date Tax Amount Currency PO Number

Filename format

Choose what appears in the final name

Drag to reorder. Click a separator to change it.

Invoice Date _ Vendor Name _ Invoice Number _ Total Amount Add part

Text cleanup

Apply your naming convention

Format date as YYYY-MM-DD

Scope: Invoice Date

Format currency consistently

Scope: Total Amount

Remove leading and trailing spaces

Scope: All fields

Conditional name parts

Add a name part only when a condition matches

Test

Live preview as you edit

Originaldocument.pdf

Generated2024-03-15_Apple_INV-2847_$299.99.pdf

Tips

•Include invoice number to avoid duplicates
•Use ISO date format (YYYY-MM-DD) for easy sorting
•Add currency symbol for quick scanning

Start with the invoice preset and test it on a real batch.

See plans and start free

How NameQuick compares to other ways to rename PDFs

Each method below has a fair use, but only one reads what is inside the PDF and turns it into a safe filename. The last column is the trigger to switch.

Method	Best for	Why it falls short	When to use NameQuick
Finder / manual	A few PDFs whose contents you already know at a glance.	Finder only sees the existing filename, so you open and read every PDF to name it.	Filenames are vague and opening each PDF to identify it is the slow part.
Automator / Shortcuts	Bulk filename edits like prefixes, suffixes, counters, or a fixed date.	It renames in bulk but reads nothing inside the file, so it cannot use the real vendor, amount, or invoice number.	The filename has to come from invoice, receipt, contract, or report content.
Python / regex	Developers with one consistent layout and a repeatable extraction pattern.	Regex matches fixed patterns, not meaning, so scripts break when a layout changes and you build OCR, collision, and undo handling yourself.	Your PDFs come from many vendors, scanners, and formats and you do not want to maintain code.
OCR tools	Making scanned PDFs searchable, or pulling fixed fields from near-identical documents.	OCR alone produces text and stops there. It does not turn that text into a safe, consistent filename with preview, rules, and undo.	You want OCR plus AI naming, preview, and undo in one Finder-native flow.
NameQuickRecommended	AI and OCR PDF renaming on Mac with templates, preview, undo, and batch safety.	A single-user local Mac tool, not a multi-user DMS server or full-text archive.	Of these methods, the only one that reads the PDF, extracts the fields, previews every name, and lets you undo, all inside Finder.

Use a real PDF batch before you pay

Start with one messy folder of invoices, receipts, contracts, scans, or research PDFs. Preview the names, refine the template or prompt, and apply only when it works for your files.

★★★★★

Joinhappy customers

Try it on your PDFs Compare AI options

Common questions