Undo & Rename History
Every rename NameQuick makes is recorded in History. See what changed, undo a rename or a whole run where possible, and know the limits of undo.
The first question everyone asks before pointing an AI at 500 files: what if it gets something wrong? The answer is built into NameQuick's core: every rename is recorded as a receipt, and most renames can be undone.
History is not a backup
Every rename is recorded#
History in the sidebar keeps a receipt for everything NameQuick has renamed, grouped by run. For each file you see the original name, the new name, where it happened, when it happened, and the outcome — including whether a name was adjusted (for example shortened) and why. Search and the result filters help you find a receipt. Renames from watch folders are listed right alongside manual batches, so automated work is just as inspectable as work you triggered yourself.
Undo any rename#
Select a receipt and click Undo. NameQuick reverses the recorded operation, from the new path back to the previous one. For a whole run, use the group's Undo all button; its count covers the receipts that can still be undone. There is no Redo.
Undo can fail, and the receipt stays in History so you can fix the cause and retry. Typical reasons:
The original location is occupied by another file.
The renamed file was moved or is missing.
The file is open in another app.
After undoing a run, check the result: a message like "Undo complete: 3 undone, 2 need attention." means only part of the run was reverted.
Caution
What never changes#
- Document content is not rewritten. NameQuick changes names and, if you use Rules, locations. Two things you turn on yourself can change more: Write tags & comments into files stores tags and a comment in formats that can hold them, and Rule actions can set tags, comments, color labels or file dates. Undo does not promise to reverse those.
- Extensions are protected. Generated names can't silently change a file's type.
What about moved files?#
Undo reverses the rename or move recorded in the receipt, so it can restore the previous location as well as the previous name. It does not undo later moves unrelated to that operation, or every effect of a Rule, such as tags, comments, dates, archives or trashing. A successful undo can remove empty folders the operation created. The receipt shows where every file ended up.
Try it on something unimportant#
The fastest way to learn the safety net is to use it: rename a handful of copied files, then undo them and check the names and folders in Finder (Mac) or File Explorer (Windows). For important batches, review mode is the main safeguard: you approve names before they're applied at all.