500 Photos and Still Renaming One by One with F2? 10 Seconds with Template Variables

Camera output: _DSC0001.jpg. Screenshot: screenshot_20260607_143322.jpg. Downloaded asset: image-xyz-1200x800.jpg. These filenames are useless when you need to organize hundreds of images.

Manual renaming: Select → F2 → Type → Confirm. Repeat 500 times.

Last week I had 500 photos that needed to be named “ProjectName_Sequence_Date.” With TinyJPG’s batch rename feature, it took 10 seconds to configure and one click to execute.

Comparison	Manual Rename	TinyJPG
500 files	20-30 minutes	10 seconds
Workflow	F2 → Type → Confirm × 500	Configure once, execute all
Error rate	High (missed files, wrong sequences)	Zero (programmatic)
Complex naming	Not feasible	Template variable combinations

01. Just Three Template Variables

TinyJPG offers three variables that cover 90% of renaming needs:

Variable	Description	Example Output
{name}	Original filename (no extension)	IMG_001 → IMG_001
{index}	Auto-incrementing sequence (zero-padded)	001, 002, …, 999
{date}	Current date	20260607

The template I used:

Template: 2026_Portfolio_{index}_{date}
Result: 2026_Portfolio_001_20260607.jpg
     2026_Portfolio_002_20260607.jpg
     ...

👉 Download TinyJPG and rename your files in bulk

02. Advanced Configuration

Start from any number, not just 1:

Starting index: 100 → 101, 102, 103...

Custom date formats:

%Y%m%d → 20260607 (default)
%Y-%m-%d → 2026-06-07
%d-%m-%Y → 07-06-2026

A preview list is generated before execution so you can verify every new filename before committing.

03. Industry Naming Conventions

E-commerce: SKU_{color}_{index}.jpg
Photography: {date}_{project}_{index}.jpg
Design: {project}_{version}_{sequence}.png
Marketing: {platform}_{type}_{date}.jpg

General principles:

• Machine-readable: Avoid spaces and special characters
• Human-readable: Filename should describe content
• Sortable: Date or sequence prefixes enable natural ordering
• Unique: Prevent accidental overwrites

04. Safety Notes

• Renaming modifies original files — back up before large operations
• Existing filenames are automatically skipped (no overwrites)
• Windows Ctrl+Z can undo renaming
• Combine with compression and format conversion in one workflow

FAQ

01. Can I use EXIF capture date instead of current date? Currently uses file modification time or current date. EXIF capture date is not yet supported.

02. Can I change the zero-padding width? Yes. Default is 3 digits (001). Change to 2 (01) or 4 (0001) in settings.

03. Are original files preserved after renaming? Renaming modifies the original file directly. The old name is replaced. Back up if needed.

04. Does it support files in subdirectories? Currently only processes the flat list of files you drag in. No recursive subdirectory scanning.

05. Can I rename and compress at the same time? Yes. Enable the rename option in the compression task, and all operations complete in one pass.

Summary

Batch renaming isn’t high-tech, but it saves more time in daily work than most features. Three template variables, configure once, automate forever.

Download now: TinyJPG Compressor