How to automate file renaming to manage your uploads effortlessly

How to automate file renaming to manage your uploads effortlessly

Imagine you are collecting a large number of documents through an online form, like resumes for a job application. Each applicant will likely have different file names for their resumes, making it a tedious task to organize and review them.

Manually renaming each file wastes time and might create inconsistency. While providing instructions below the upload field can be helpful, it's not foolproof. Users might miss the instruction or forget them, resulting in inconsistent filenames.

Here's where automatic file rename on upload comes to rescue! This allows the form creator to:
  1. Set specific naming rules: Define a specific format for uploaded files. eg- [Applicant Name]_Resume.
  2. Extract information: Automatically pulls relevant data from the form, like the applicant's name, to create unique file names.
Let's say an applicant named Richard Johnson submits his resume. With automatic renaming, the file name becomes "Richard_Johnson_Resume". This clear and consistent naming makes managing and identifying files easy.

To do this:
  1. Go to the field Properties of the File Upload.
  2. Under File Name, provide a name of your choice that can help you identify the files better. Click the merge icon to merge the form responses in the file name. For example, if you want to streamline the resume names of candidates, then you can give the File Name as shown.
File Naming

Benefits of automatic file renaming:
  1. Saves Time: By automatically renaming uploaded file names to a consistent format, you can eliminate the need for manual renaming, saving your significant time and effort.
  2. Improves Organization: Consistent file names make it easier to sort, search, and track uploaded documents, enhancing overall organization.
  3. Reduces Errors: It reduces the chance of human error from manually renaming files, ensuring accuracy.