Batch Find and Replace part of a File Name in Lightroom Classic CC

[tictoc2010]

I need to remove part of a file name on several hundred photos. Is there a way to Batch find and replace part of a file name in Lightroom Classic CC?

[john beardsworth]

No, unlike in Bridge, that's not possible in LR.

You can do it a roundabout way using my Search and Replace plugin. See Complex file renaming in Lightroom made simple – thanks to the Search and Replace plug-in – Lightroo...

John

[tictoc2010]

John I followed your link it looks like the "Search & Replace" is what I need but can't see where to download it. Have I missed something?

[john beardsworth · Accepted solution]

There's a link on the right hand side of the page, but the download page is Search and Replace metadata in Lightroom 

Another idea is to do the renaming using Bridge. It'll mean reimporting, and in other ways it is inconvenient (eg you lose any stacking, VCs , collections, history steps applied to these files), but it's reliable if you follow these steps:

• In LR, save the metadata back to the files - Ctrl or Cmd S
• In Bridge, select the files and use Batch Rename - its String Substitution option is the one you'll need
• In LR, synchronize the folder - this will remove the -Edit files and import the renamed versions.

John

[tictoc2010]

Oops I missed that. I'm very keen not to lose any stacking!

I'm wanting to use it on the File Name field but don't see that in the plug in Target Field options. Have I missed that also. Sorry I'm really tired tonight.

[john beardsworth]

Doing stuff when you're tired is never a good thing!

The file name cannot be the target field because Adobe don't allow plugins to change file names. So the article shows that you use file name as the source field, targeting any field such as Headline which can later be used by LR's batch renaming.

[ColinBrownPhotographer]

This worked perfectly. Bridge string substitution was what i was after. Saving metadata to file and Synchronising folder in LR were the other pieces i needed. Thank you.

[Rob_Cullen]

There may be a way, but a lot depends on the current filename structure and the new structure wanted.

For a batch, you would select all photos to rename, press [F2], choose [Edit...] from the Preset box drop-down menu, and build the new re-name structure. (Watch the re-name dialog for an "Example:" of how the files will rename)

Sometimes I have found it easier to change a complicated filename structure to a simple format, then re-name again with a more detailed structure.

If you post a sample of your current filenames and suggest how you want to change, you may get more specific advice from other gurus.

Do NOT attempt to rename the files with any external 'Rename' programs- Lightroom will show the files as "missing" and you will have the impossible task of trying to re-connect the photos in the Library catalog.

Edit: I bow to John Beardsworth who beat me to a reply. with "Search & Replace"

[tictoc2010]

I have been working on files in Photoshop over the past few days and just licked save not noticing that they saved as for example 1234-Edit.tif so all I want to do is remove the -Edit from that was added.

I didn't even notice it was happening now I have hundreds of them.