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 filename format or written instructions, 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. If the batch also needs a folder structure, Quick Organize proposes folders and filenames together as one reviewable plan; it runs on Managed AI and supported cloud AI providers, not on a local model. Batch imports also tend to carry duplicates, and the duplicate finder verifies exact matches byte for byte before proposing any cleanup.

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 filename format or written instructions 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 filename format, refine the written instructions, 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, LM Studio, or MLX, nothing leaves your Mac. With your own cloud API key, text PDFs send only the extracted text and your written instructions 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 card for the Self-Managed trial: 50 in-app renames, no time limit, using your own AI provider key or a local model. The Managed AI trial is 14 days with 50 renames included and starts in checkout with a payment method. Full pricing is in the next answer.

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

Two ways to pay, and both start free. Self-Managed is a $69 one-time license covering one device with lifetime updates, and you bring your own AI provider key or run a local model through Ollama, LM Studio, or MLX; its in-app trial is 50 renames with no card and no time limit. Managed AI is a subscription from $12 per month for 500 renames up to $99 per month for 10,000, with annual options, and its trial is 14 days with 50 renames included, starts in checkout, needs a payment method, and charges nothing during the trial. There is a third path: on Setapp, AI renaming is included in the Setapp subscription with no API key and no separate AI setup, and the included AI credits can run out, which the app tells you about and links to your remaining credits.

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

Self-Managed uses your own AI provider key or a local model through Ollama, LM Studio, or MLX, while Managed AI is a hosted subscription with no keys to configure. The pricing answer above covers both in full.

Does NameQuick work on my Mac?

NameQuick needs macOS 15.4 or later, on Intel or Apple Silicon. Local models through MLX need an Apple Silicon Mac; Ollama, LM Studio, your own cloud key and Managed AI work 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, and media, 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 filename format for each type, such as invoices, receipts, contracts, and tax forms. For a mixed folder, written instructions can tell NameQuick how to name each document type, and Quick Organize can propose folders and filenames together as one reviewable plan, on Managed AI and supported cloud AI providers only. 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. Watch Folders also work on cloud storage synced to your Mac: iCloud Drive, and Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, and Box through their File Provider folders under ~/Library/CloudStorage/. Files that are online-only are detected before renaming, and the renamed file syncs back through the provider's own client. This is sync-folder support, not a connection to your cloud account.

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_20260315_143022.pdf

2026-03-15_ACME_Invoice_$1240.pdf

Invoice

download (3).pdf

2026-03-14_Starbucks_Receipt_$7.80.pdf

Receipt

scan0047.pdf

2026_Service_Agreement_XYZ_Corp.pdf

Contract

DOC20260215.pdf

2026-02-15_Bank_Statement_Checking.pdf

Statement

Quick answer

To rename PDF files based on content on Mac, drop in invoices, receipts, contracts, scans, or research PDFs. NameQuick reads selectable PDF text or OCR, uses a filename format or written instructions to suggest filenames, lets you preview the names, then applies an undoable rename only when you approve it.

Drop real PDFs: Use invoices, receipts, contracts, scans, or research PDFs from the folder you actually need to clean up.
Choose a filename format or written instructions: Use a preset pattern for common files, or describe the filename you want in plain English.
Preview every name: Check the suggested filenames before anything changes, then adjust the filename format or written instructions if needed.
Apply, undo, or automate: Run the batch only when it looks right. Undo if needed, then automate reliable folders later.

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 filename format or written instructions 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
Choose a naming preset
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 filename format or written instructions

Pick a filename format for one document type, or use written instructions 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 filename format or written instructions 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.”

Filename formats for common use cases

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

New filename format

Preset 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

Generated2026-03-15_Apple_INV-2847_$299.99.pdf

Tips

•Include invoice number to avoid duplicates
•Use ISO date format (YYYY-MM-DD) for easy sorting
•Include the currency when you receive invoices in more than one

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.
Renamer.ai	Content-based PDF renaming on Windows as well as Mac, or straight from a browser. Subscription only, $9.95/month for 200 files up to $99.95 for 5,000, plus a free tier (verified 2026-08-02, renamer.ai). Full comparison: /vs/renamer-ai	Web uploads are stored temporarily for up to 24 hours. A local AI model option, source-text review evidence, undo, and duplicate detection are not documented on renamer.ai as of 2026-08-02.	You want a one-time license instead of a subscription, or you want the option to run the naming on a local model.
Hazel	Folder rules that file, move, and clean up on the Mac once a file already has a usable name. Hazel 6 is $42 single-user, $65 family pack, $20 upgrade (verified 2026-08-02, noodlesoft.com/store). Full comparison: /vs/hazel	Hazel applies rules and naming patterns you write yourself, and Hazel 6 can match OCR text against them. The filename still comes from your pattern, so you define up front what goes into it.	The name has to come from inside the PDF. The two also compose through the filesystem: name with NameQuick, let Hazel file it from there.
NameQuickRecommended	AI and OCR PDF renaming on Mac with filename formats, preview, undo, and batch safety.	A single-user local Mac tool, not a multi-user DMS server or full-text archive.	You have a recurring folder of mixed PDFs, the useful name is inside the file, and you want to see every proposed name before it is applied and undo the batch afterwards.

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 filename format or written instructions, and apply only when it works for your files.

★★★★★

Joinhappy customers

Try it on your PDFs Compare AI options

Common questions