Beginner regex tutorial for Bulk Rename Utility
Use regular expressions when a filename pattern has multiple parts that simpler replacement cannot isolate.
Regex guides
Use regular expressions and JavaScript rules for structured naming problems.
Quick answer: Test the smallest possible expression with representative files. Use literal Replace rather than regex when simpler rules solve the problem.
Task-by-task guides
Swap two filename sections with regex
Capture both filename sections and reverse their order with a regex replacement.
Remove parentheses and their contents with regex
A regex can strip a bracketed copy label when it is present, keeping the original filename stem.
Extract numeric IDs from mixed filenames
Capture a numeric field and rearrange it into a predictable naming convention.
Strip a variable filename prefix using regex
A regex handles prefixes of variable length when they share a reliable separator.
Rearrange filename dates with capturing groups
Capture day, month and year separately to convert names into sortable ISO dates.
Remove repeated filename words with regex
A regex backreference may detect a repeated word and collapse it to one occurrence.
Protect extensions while running regex rules
Use a filename-only match and leave the Extension panel unchanged so the file format label stays intact.
When to use regex instead of simple replace
Choose literal replacement for a known text string and regex when structure, optional components or capture groups matter.
Use JavaScript in Bulk Rename Utility v4
Version 4 supports JavaScript rules for transformations too complex for fixed controls; test scripts on disposable copies.