How to rename Google Drive™ files and folders in bulk?
Do you ever wish you could: Change a project’s prefix across dozens of files at once? Standardize naming conventions across a folder and its subfolders? Quickly correct a typo across many filenames?
If so, bulk renaming is your friend but Google Drive™ by itself doesn’t offer a good way to do it at scale. That’s where Folgo comes in. In this guide, you’ll learn how to rename files and folders in bulk simply, clearly, step by step, even if you’ve never used Folgo before.
Introduction
Keeping your Google Drive organized can quickly become messy, especially when you’re dealing with dozens of files, nested folders, or outdated naming conventions. Folgo’s Bulk Rename feature lets you rename folders, subfolders, and files at scale all in just a few clicks.
Here are some use cases where Folgo’s bulk rename feature can save hours of manual work:
- Project updates: Update version numbers or date tags across multiple files at once (e.g., “Q1” → “Q2”).
- Standardizing names: Add prefixes or suffixes to keep your naming conventions consistent (e.g., “ClientA_Proposal_”).
- Folder restructuring: Rename whole folders, including subfolders, to match new team or project structures.
- Cleanup and clarity: Fix typos or remove confusing text across large batches of files.
- Company rebranding: Replace old product or brand names in hundreds of filenames instantly.
Step 1: Install Folgo
The first step is to install Folgo from Google Workspace Marketplace.
It's a quick installation procedure. Once installed, you can access Folgo, right within the sidebar of your Google Drive.
💡 You can also install Folgo from your Google Drive by clicking on the "+" button in the side panel.Click on the Folgo icon in your Google Drive sidebar to launch the app.
Step 2: Initialize the Rename feature
Open Folgo from within Google Drive (via its sidebar). Find and click the "Rename files"
Step 3: Select the target folder/files
You will see a prompt saying 👈 Select at least one file or folder to rename.
The 👈 pointing finger prompts you to choose the target folders/files within Google Drive (and not in the Folgo sidebar).
Folgo will behave like a file picker at this point.
Once selected, the Folgo UI will update and display your chosen source folder.
Tip: Press CTRL on your keyboard then click the relevant folders/files to select multiple (but non-adjacent) files. For multiple adjacent files, press Shift, click the first file, then press the up or down arrow on your keyboard.
Step 4: Choose the renaming type
Depending on your needs, you can choose:
- Search & Replace: Search the element (words you want to rename) and replace it as desired.
- Rename full title: Replace the entire title as desired.
- Insert before/after title: Insert an element (words or characters) before or after the folder/file title.
Note: After typing in the desired words or characters to insert, it's important to step off the current text input field by pressing TAB on your keyboard. This ensures that Folgo is updated with the entry that you made.
Depending on your needs, you can enable additionnal options:
- Include subfolders & files: to also rename all subfolders & files inside the selected folder(s)
- Exclude folders: to rename only subfolders & files (without the folder included)
- Exclude files: to rename only folders & subfolders, except the files
Step 5: Activate the Renaming process
Once you're ready, click the RENAME button to initialize the renaming process. Later on, you will receive an email notifying you that the renaming of your folders/files is completed.
Tip: Once the renaming process is started, you can opt to close Folgo, Google Drive, your browser, or your computer. This is possible (and safe) because Folgo will process everything using Google servers (operating behind the scenes).
Conclusion
Bulk renaming isn’t just a convenience, it’s a major time-saver for anyone managing large amounts of data in Google Drive. With Folgo, you can rename entire folder structures, including all subfolders and files, in one single operation. This not only ensures uniformity and professionalism in your folder structure but also significantly reduces human error.
By maintaining clear, standardized naming conventions, you make it easier for teams to search, organize, and automate their workflows. In short, bulk renaming with Folgo brings efficiency, accuracy, and structure to your Drive management.
Install Folgo and give it a try! We only showed one of many powerful features Folgo offers to help you manage Google Drive at scale. Feel free to explore Folgo's features and see how it helps your organisation!