Batch Rename and Sort Files in Google Drive with Apps Script

Why This Matters

If you’ve ever opened a Google Drive folder stuffed with hundreds of untidy image files, download dumps or client uploads, you already know the pain. Naming conventions go out the window. You end up clicking and tapping away for hours, renaming photos, tagging assets, and sorting into the right folders one by one. This process drains your time each week and increases the risk of errors. A single typo in a filename can make a batch of work sink somewhere in the archives, never to appear in search.

Multiply that by your weekly projects, shared drives, and team handovers, and the headaches grow quickly. It’s repetitive, error-prone, and smashes creative energy into tiny pieces. As you create more content or serve more clients, the overhead gets messier.

Bulk renaming and sorting seem simple until you do it manually. This article provides a reliable solution.

Common Pitfalls

Plenty of bright-eyed folk open the Apps Script editor expecting magic, only to end up in a quagmire. Most people run into issues in these areas:

• Copying the script and pasting, but the files don’t move or rename. Usually, it’s down to bungled folder IDs or missing permissions.
• Not knowing which part of the code to change for their folder or custom tag. The lines blend into one, especially if you don’t write JavaScript every day.
• Thinking they’ll rename .jpg files correctly, but the tag is slammed into odd places. (Spoiler: not every script you find online handles file extensions as intended.)
• Expecting changes to show instantly, but needing to reload Drive or getting stuck on a permissions pop-up.
• Worrying they’ll permanently wreck their files. A small error and suddenly fifty images have cryptic new names, or you can’t find where things ended up.

The most common complaint people have is, “I can’t find my folder ID, and nothing works once I hit run.”

Let’s defuse all of that, step by step.

Step-by-Step Fix

1. Find Your Folder ID in Google Drive

Before doing anything with scripts, you need the unique ID of your target folder. If you get this wrong, you’ll wonder why nothing changes, or you risk editing a folder you didn’t mean to touch.

How to do it:

• In Google Drive, open the folder you want to process.
• Look at the URL in your browser. Search for /folders/ in the address.
• The gibberish string that follows (letters, numbers, sometimes dashes or underscores) is your folder ID. For example, in
  https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1yD0ABCdEfGhIJKLmnoPqrStuvWxyZA12
  the folder ID is 1yD0ABCdEfGhIJKLmnoPqrStuvWxyZA12
• Copy this string exactly. Make sure there aren’t any spaces or extra characters.

2. Open Google Apps Script and Start a Project

Now you’ll use Google’s official tool for scripting actions in Drive. No software download or command line needed.

What to do:

• Go to script.google.com. Log in if prompted.
• Click New project.
• At the top left, name your project something like “Drive Batch Renamer.” This helps when you revisit your projects later.

Now you’re in the Script Editor, ready for the code.

3. Paste and Customise Your Batch Rename Script

Time to make the changes that actually fix file naming chaos. Below is a reliable script that walks every file in your chosen folder and appends a custom tag just before the file extension. It skips files that already have the tag, so you won’t double-rename anything.

The script:

function renameFilesInFolder() {
  const folderId = 'YOUR_FOLDER_ID_HERE'; // Paste your folder ID here
  const tag = ' – Unsplash stock photo';  // Change this to your own tag

  const folder = DriveApp.getFolderById(folderId);
  const files = folder.getFiles();

  while (files.hasNext()) {
    const file = files.next();
    const name = file.getName();

    // Skip files already renamed
    if (name.includes(tag)) continue;

    // Add the tag just before the file extension (handles files with or without extensions)
    const dotIndex = name.lastIndexOf('.');
    let newName;

    if (dotIndex > 0 && dotIndex < name.length - 1) {
      const base = name.substring(0, dotIndex);
      const ext = name.substring(dotIndex);
      newName = base + tag + ext;
    } else {
      newName = name + tag;
    }

    file.setName(newName);
    Logger.log('Renamed: ' + name + ' → ' + newName);
  }

  Logger.log('✅ File renaming complete.');
}

What to change:

• Replace 'YOUR_FOLDER_ID_HERE' with the folder ID you copied earlier.
• Set your own tag between the quotation marks for tag. Example: – Client Upload, – Final, or whatever fits your system.

4. Run the Script and Approve Permissions

Next, you’ll run the renaming process. The first time you do this (or when using new Drive accounts), Google will ask for permission.

To run:

• In the Script Editor, click the disk icon to save.
• Choose the dropdown menu beside the bug icon and pick renameFilesInFolder.
• Hit “Run.”
• When prompted, read the permissions request. Click “Review Permissions.” Select your account and accept the required access.
• Wait for the green tick at the bottom right, or open “Executions” on the left to view progress.

When the script finishes, refresh your Drive folder and you’ll see the new names appear. No manual clicking or carpal tunnel required.

5. (Optional) Move Renamed Files to a Different Folder

Looking to move your freshly renamed files into a new home? This approach lets you chain moving and renaming together, which is useful for steps like “tag as final, then archive,” or “unapproved assets → quarantine folder.”

The script:

function renameAndMoveFiles() {
  const sourceFolderId = 'YOUR_SOURCE_FOLDER_ID';       // Folder containing files to rename
  const targetFolderId = 'YOUR_DESTINATION_FOLDER_ID';  // Folder to move files into
  const tag = ' – Unsplash stock photo';                // Change this as needed

  const sourceFolder = DriveApp.getFolderById(sourceFolderId);
  const targetFolder = DriveApp.getFolderById(targetFolderId);
  const files = sourceFolder.getFiles();

  while (files.hasNext()) {
    const file = files.next();
    const name = file.getName();

    // Skip files already renamed
    if (name.includes(tag)) {
      Logger.log('Skipped (already renamed): ' + name);
      continue;
    }

    const dotIndex = name.lastIndexOf('.');
    let newName;

    if (dotIndex > 0 && dotIndex < name.length - 1) {
      const base = name.substring(0, dotIndex);
      const ext = name.substring(dotIndex);
      newName = base + tag + ext;
    } else {
      newName = name + tag;
    }

    file.setName(newName);
    targetFolder.addFile(file);         // Move to new location
    sourceFolder.removeFile(file);      // Remove from original folder
    Logger.log('Renamed and moved: ' + name + ' → ' + newName);
  }

  Logger.log('✅ Files renamed and moved.');
}

Steps:

• Replace 'YOUR_SOURCE_FOLDER_ID' and 'YOUR_DESTINATION_FOLDER_ID' with the correct IDs, using the URL trick from step one.
• Save, select and run renameAndMoveFiles.
• Approve permissions if prompted.
• Check your “Executions” tab or logs for any skipped files or errors.

Files will be renamed and moved directly to the destination folder, which helps you avoid file duplication.

6. Troubleshooting and Error Handling

Scripts don’t always go smoothly the first time. Here are the top things to check:

• Script errors:
  “Exception: No item with the given ID could be found.”
  Check: Did you copy the full folder ID? Does your account have permission? Are you logged into more than one Google account in the same browser?

• Files not renamed:
  Check: Does the tag already exist in some file names? The script purposely skips files with the tag to prevent double-renaming.

• Files don’t move:
  Check: Make sure both source and destination IDs are correct. For shared drives, you need at least editor access.

• Permissions dialogue loops:
  Try logging out of all extra Google accounts or using an incognito window.

• Output/Logs confusion:
  Use the “Executions” panel in Apps Script to see every file processed (or skipped).

What Most People Miss

Maintaining stress-free file automation depends on controlling your environment:

• Use dedicated folders for test runs before letting loose on production files.
• Keep your tags simple and future-proof. Don’t date-stamp unless you know you want to see those dates forever.
• Remember, Google Apps Script does exactly what you tell it to do. If something’s not working, nearly every issue comes back to a copy-paste mixup, a typo, or missing permissions, not script magic.

If you’re an advanced user, you can chain more filters and sorting logic into your scripts—by file type, owner, or date. Start with this approach first. Simplicity wins.

The Bigger Picture

Mastering simple workflow automations like this gives you a major advantage. You spend less time on admin and more time creating, sharing, or growing your business. For freelancers and agencies, this could be what helps you hit tight deadlines. For teams, it reduces headaches around lost versions and unsearchable assets.

After seeing the impact in one folder, you’ll likely start organising more areas as a system: client onboarding, delivery folders, final asset handover, or periodic clean-ups.

Automation helps you organise, keep your processes consistent, and maintain a space in Drive that always makes sense.

Wrap-Up

Whether you work solo or with a team, automating file renaming and sorting in Google Drive saves time and reduces frustration. With these workflows, you can batch tag and relocate any set of files in just a few steps—no spreadsheet imports or risk of duplicated filenames. Edit a couple of lines in your browser and you’re set.

For more systems and tips, join Pixelhaze Academy for free at https://www.pixelhaze.academy/membership.

Jargon Buster

• Batch Processing Script: Code that processes lots of files in one go, not individually by hand.
• Google Apps Script: Google’s cloud-based platform for writing automations in JavaScript.
• DriveApp: The Apps Script library for working with Drive files and folders.
• Script Editor: The place where you paste/run your code (script.google.com).
• Folder ID: The unique string after /folders/ in your Google Drive URL, used to point scripts at the right folder.

Quick FAQ

Q: How do I locate the Folder ID?
A: Open the folder in Drive, copy everything after /folders/ in the URL.

Q: Can I use my own tag?
A: Yes, just change the text in the tag variable in the script.

Q: Will the script affect subfolders?
A: No, these scripts only target files directly inside your chosen parent folder.

Q: Can I undo bulk renaming?
A: No instant undo exists. Test on a handful of files first, and consider keeping originals in a backup folder.

Q: Script doesn’t run, or permission errors pop up?
A: Recheck folder IDs and make sure your account has full access. If in doubt, try an incognito browser window.

Q: Does this work on shared drives?
A: Yes, if you have sufficient editor access.

You can now batch rename and sort files reliably in Google Drive without the wasted hours or file chaos.