Folder Renaming: Rename the Folders, Not Just the Files
Batchio can rename your folders in batch, using the exact same rule chain you already use for files. Switch the scope to Folders and every folder you add becomes an item you can transform, with the same live preview and full undo. Folder renaming is part of Batchio Pro.
Can Batchio rename the folders themselves, not just files?
By default Batchio works in Files scope, where folders are only used to group and load the files inside them. That is the right behavior most of the time. When you actually need to fix the folder names themselves, for example a set of movie or project folders that all carry the same messy pattern, you switch the scope to Folders and the folders step into the list as first class items. Every rule type you already know, from Find & Replace to Change Case, now transforms the folder name.
Nothing else about the workflow changes. You build a rule chain, you watch the preview update in real time, and you rename with one click. The only difference is what sits in the list.
How do the Files, Folders, and Both scopes work?
The three scopes exist because file names and folder names usually follow different conventions. A photo might want a date prefix and a sequence number, while its enclosing folder wants a clean, readable title. Keeping Files as the default means every existing workflow behaves exactly as it did before, and folder renaming is something you opt into deliberately.
Both scope is for the cases where you genuinely want files and folders in one list. Because the two usually need different treatment, pair it with Smart Filters and the Is a file or Is a folder condition, so one rule targets only the files and another targets only the folders. That way a single pass renames a whole tree correctly instead of forcing one naming scheme onto everything.
Is renaming folders safe?
Renaming a tree of folders is more delicate than renaming files because folders contain each other. Batchio handles this by applying folder renames deepest first, so an inner folder is renamed before the parent path around it changes. Every rename is recorded, and a single undo restores the original names in the correct order.
The Protect Extensions option also adapts. A folder called Movie (2025) [1080p].x264 has dots in its name, but it has no real extension, so Batchio keeps the whole name intact rather than splitting off .x264. As always, the live preview shows the exact result for every folder before you apply.
How do you rename folders and their contents at once?
The cleanest way to rename a full tree is to accept that files and folders want different rules. In Both scope you add one rule filtered to Is a file and another filtered to Is a folder, and each side gets exactly the treatment it should. The preview shows both kinds side by side so you can confirm the folders and the files at the same time.
If you prefer to keep things simple, run two separate passes. Rename the files with your usual preset, switch the scope to Folders, and rename the folders with a second preset. With Batchio Pro you can save both as presets and reuse the pair any time. See how to batch rename folders on Mac for a full walkthrough.
Rename Folders as Easily as Files
Folder renaming is part of Batchio Pro, a one time $4.99 purchase. You get the same rule chain, live preview, and undo you already use for files, at a fraction of the price of the premium renaming tools.
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Marcel Iseli is an indie app developer and the creator of Batchio. He builds native macOS utilities focused on productivity and file management.