P: Ability to bulk - batch rename files

Report · Oct 19, 2017

Lightroom CC - Renaming in bulk. This is another important feature from Lightroom which appears not to have made it (yet) to Lightroom CC.
Everyone has there own renaming strategy (don't they?). Once I have applied keywords and corrected location details, I bulk rename to include date, location and primary keyword in the file title. OK - that may be overkill, but does help people I am selling images to.
Bulk renaming - for whatever reason and using whatever system - is an important tool for DAM and support for it in Lightroom CC would be appreciated.

Report · Oct 19, 2017

Are you talking about managing the files, or renaming when exporting?

I think the concept of CC is now that all files are managed for you, so I don't see renaming being implemented.

However, I think adding a rename option to the export (Save as...) options is a great idea.

Report · Oct 19, 2017

To do one, you might as well do the other. The big advantage of renaming the original files is it is the final repository of basic metadata if all else goes phuttt!! In the unlikely event that all the other meta data and keywords get lost you can at least find all Red-throated Divers seen in a particular location if you’ve followed my naming strategy.
And I think CC is designed to make photographers’ workflow easier - not redundant. Or it should be.

Report · Oct 21, 2017

I would like to know how to batch rename photos during exporting or saving process in Lightroom CC. In Lightroom Classic, when I export the files, it allows me to specify a custom file names but I can't do the same in CC. Please advise.

Report · Oct 21, 2017

You can't. This is not possible in LR CC. I am sure at some point this will get added as well as more than just jpeg or originals export.

Report · Oct 25, 2017

It's a glaring omission I reckon. I shoot weddings and always rename the files for easier handling for the client. I'm fine with LR now sensei - ing the images but my clients find it easier to have "Michelle & Craig 234 or whatever. Maybe its just what I'm used to and it's change.

Report · Nov 04, 2017

I also would like to see the renaming (bulk) option implemented. I like to have my photos organised and I have it as yyyy xxxx. This is not possible any longer. I have now even different numbers because of the way I imported, some are renamed by Lightroom or Apple Photos, and I am not even to change them one by one. I tried to rename them outside Lightroom by exporting-renaming-importing, but the original RAW file is imported and the changes are gone.

Report · Nov 04, 2017

The main idea in Lightroom CC is that all your originals are in the cloud as well as your catalog. Local images are only copies. The filename is basically completely immaterial in this case and all that matters is the other metadata.
I need more control myself too but I think this is the philosophy behind Lightroom CC. The cloud is everything and there are basically no files you can manipulate, just images you click on and edit. Very much a mobile workflow concept.

Report · Nov 04, 2017

If you do anything professional I would really think hard before committing to CC. It is a nice toy to experiment with but for anything even mildly professional you are going to need Lightroom Classic. It is currently missing way too many features to make it workable. I am sure Adobe will get there at some point but it is a very long way off. I personally am mainly in Classic and sync some collections from Classic to CC so I can edit on my iPad if I want to. This still works just fine and is probably the best of both worlds.

Report · Nov 18, 2017

I’d like to be able to rename images filename . ( would like this in Mobile iOS version too)
A batch rename is really needed . And maybe rename on import as this is my usual workflow on other programs .
We also need these file names to be searchable in Lightroom , tagging images in metadata is something I’ve never done in 15 years! And neither has any other professional photographers I know .

This is essential for keeping images and folders organised , say by job name , Location , person or visible date .
Eg I normally use client , product / person ,and date then the camera image number , or generated seq.
or for personal work -description/ person, location , date , camera / seq number
which looks like this ..
AB_Accountancy_ Jane_Smith_Nov_2017_0001
Or
Skateboarding_Glasgow_June_17_001 etc.

The searchable filename is essential for workflow.
Often I’ll send a Dropbox or web galleries of all images shot , say 400 shots and then they will select 20 for finalising / retouching.
Usually I’ll just read their email and type the filename seq number into my program (capture one) and it will filter my album to that shot only.
I then flag, 5 star and move to another Folder / album such as finals / selects etc. So I can go to that album / folder and only work on the selected ones .

I hope the developers can start to understand workflow and features as one thing , and from my scenario which is pretty universal to busy photographers .

Thanks!
Steve

Report · Dec 05, 2017

I believe renaming and bulk renaming, as well as autorenaming on import, are necessary in Lightroom CC (cloud app) to accommodate the needs of users who require the same degree of flexibility offered by what is now Lightroom Classic. Either that or offer a tool for uploading full size images from the desktop via Lightroom Classic so renaming can be done there and later reflected in Lightroom CC. I’m using CC only because I want my full size images in the cloud, want access from desktops in two locations and want to use the mobile apps. I don’t particularly enjoy having to import through CC instead of Classic to do this, and I require editing tools (eg brushes) that CC doesn’t offer. Autorenaming In CC would at least ease the pain. Thank you.

Report · Dec 11, 2017

I'm really new to Lightroom and downloaded CC as it's the latest and wanted the cloud storage options. I'm struggling to rename a file I've imported as the interface is quite unintuitive for a newbie. Can anyone assist? The most obvious choice would be "info", but the File Name field is uneditable:

Report · Dec 11, 2017

You can’t rename files in Lightroom CC. You need Lightroom Classic to rename files (for now)

Report · Dec 16, 2017

Hi Everyone. Thanks for this useful discussion on file renaming which I have practiced over many years and makes file finding simpler if there is no other way, keywords for example. While I am loving Lightroom CC for being able to quickly and easily share my images, I think Joa's comment is really helpful and so won't be letting go of my Lightroom Classic skills anytime soon. I would vlue some discussion on how folk might integrate the two programmes, as I suspect will happen over time.

Report · Jan 12, 2018

What a glaring omission!! Someone said earlier that Lightroom CC was for amateurs, and while I like the interface and it works well, it seems awfully unprofessional to work on files and not be able to rename them to what a client would expect them to be named. Delivering John123.jpg is much better than delivering P1300211.jpg to a client. What do you say Adobe????

Report · Jan 12, 2018

Hit the Vote button in the top right corner Alexander. Votes help the product management team prioritize new features.

_______________________________________________
Victoria - The Lightroom Queen - Author of the Lightroom Missing FAQ & Edit on the Go books.

Report · Jan 31, 2018

hello, if i add a photo with the ligthroom mobile app it would be great if i took the photo. could rename! s.besten with the settings of lightroom cc or I can adjust the import of lightroom cc so that the. images automatically saves my desired filename! please please that would be great !!!!

Report · Feb 06, 2018

My trick for this is to use Bridge on my desktop to import the photos to a folder. Bridge let's you batch rename files similar to Lightroom Classic. Once I have folders based on the albums I will create in Lightroom CC, I open up LRCC and import the folders with the names I want into LRCC.

Bridge is free if you pay for Creative Cloud. It's an oldie but somehow is a companion to Adobe's latest photo management tool. Go Figure.

I agree with everyone, it would be nice if LR CC had it build into it - especially on desktop version.

Report · Feb 16, 2018

Trialing LR CC and not thrilled. Why can't I rename my files? Please don't tell me I have to leave them with the camera file names.

Also, why can't I export jpeg versions onto my own local storage?

Any help appreciated.

Report · Feb 16, 2018

Hi, I am looking for the filename template editor so that I can apply standard naming to photos I import into Lightroom CC. While I know where it was in the previous versions, where is it in the new cloud based software?

Report · Feb 16, 2018

There is no rename in Lightroom CC. It’s important to understand that Lightroom CC is not an update to Lightroom. It is a completely new program. It basically is a port of the mobile Os version to the desktop. Because of this it misses almost all of the features we are used to in Lightroom proper which is now called Lightroom Classic. Just like on the mobile version the file names in Lightroom CC are not important and not used by anything. All your original files are stored in the cloud in this version and tracked behind the scenes which is a great feature but comes at a cost. So my guess is that the philosophy here is just like mobile OS images. The file name doesn’t matter and is not a user accessible feature. Simply forget about it as there is no benefit to changing it. Use key wording and the other metadata fields (albums, captions, date and time etc) to describe and find your images or simply use Classic which does have all these features and works like Lightroom always has.

There is a jpeg export in Lightroom CC to export to local jpeg files. It is in the share button.

Report · Feb 16, 2018

Hi Jao, thanks for your comment. it's very thorough and helps me understand the situation clearly.

Report · Feb 20, 2018

An important feature is to be able to "export" and "rename" files, even with a cloud-based system (eg to upload to a web service to make a photo book). In Lightroom CC you can create jpegs to be stored locally (via save as) but the file name is the original filename and this cannot be used to rename files, as in previous versions of lightroom. It can't be difficult to add this feature, and when doing so more control over jpeg production could also be added (eg max file size).

Report · Mar 03, 2018

As an very much an amateur photographer, Lightroom is by far the best option for importing, basic updating, organising (including key wording) and have available to share. A critical part of this 'simple' process is the bulk renaming of files with date and location / event. This ensures at the individual file level within explorer you can identify file contents. It has been pointed out in the above discussions, in many respects the "filename" becomes irrelevant in Lightroom cc as you can use location and key words to find the relevant photos.
However as soon as you want to do anything outside Lightroom (eg. share with friends, bulk export for creating a photo book) exporting with the original camera roll file name will be painful. Particularly as the sorting files into a numeric date/time captured is not possible. As file creation date/time may not equal the date/time photo's were taken.
Even inside lightroom cc this is an issue, as 'after the event', I'll often scan items such as ticket, brochures and maps as part of the story of a holiday. Renaming in my YYYY MM DD HHMM Location format at least allows these items to be slotted in the correct location when files are sorted by file name for viewing.

Secondly risks tying users permanently into the Lightroom environment potentially making a large barrier to moving if exporting all the additional information added in Lightroom can't be exported.

The inability to rename file was a reason I did not move the Aperture a number of years ago.

This file renaming is one of the main reasons I will not move from the classic version yet.

Report · May 17, 2018

In Lightroom CC I can not change the file name. After export I have files with name "DSC...jpg". For me Lightroom CC is not usable with this problem, because I can not give files with this random file name to my clients.

Report · Jun 09, 2018

There is also a second option for photos one has already uploaded in LRCC even after editing without loosing the non-destructive changes in RAW:
* Choose "Save to.."
* Choose "Original and Settings" and select a folder or create a new folder and save the (RAW) photos. You will notice that an additional .XMP file is created with the same name as your RAW photo.
* Open Bridge (Deselect "Show hidden files" if you see the .XMP files)
* Choose "Batch Rename" in Bridge. There are many options for re-naming, I am quite happy how this works.
* Delete the Photos from LRCC (just the ones previously saved in the folder obviously) You have to delete them, not just remove them from the album, because otherwise it will not work.
* Import the renamed photos and you are ready to go. All the not destructive changes are still there.

It's a nice work around, but I would prefer to have a re-naming function in LRCC of course