Rearrange: Split and Reorder Filename Parts
Batchio's Rearrange rule breaks a filename into parts using a divider you choose, then rebuilds the name in whatever order you want. It is the fastest way to flip "Artist - Title" into "Title - Artist" across an entire folder, with every result shown in the live preview.
How does the Rearrange rule work?
Think of it in two steps. First, the divider decides how the name is cut into pieces. If your files look like Artist - Title, a divider of - produces two parts. Second, the order string describes the new name. Writing $2 - $1 puts the second part first and the first part second, giving Title - Artist. Any literal text you include in the order, such as spaces or a dash between the placeholders, is kept exactly as you type it.
The divider does not have to be a symbol. It can be a whole word. A file named coolmixtapetrack split on the divider mixtape becomes two parts, cool and track, which you can then reorder however you like.
Can you reorder more than two parts?
Suppose your files are structured as date_project_author and you split on the underscore. Writing the order as $3_$1_$2 reshapes every name into author_date_project in one pass. If a placeholder points to a part that does not exist for a given file, Batchio simply leaves that slot empty rather than failing, so a mixed batch stays safe.
When the goal is to move a single piece rather than fully reshuffle the name, the Range rule is often simpler, since it moves or copies one selection to a chosen spot. Range and Rearrange complement each other for structural edits.
What happens if the divider is not in a filename?
This makes the Rearrange rule safe to run across a folder where only some files follow the pattern. Files that match get reordered, and everything else is left exactly as it was. You can also narrow a rule further with Smart Filters so it only touches, for example, audio files or names that contain a particular word.
As always, the two column preview shows the original name beside the rebuilt name, so you can confirm that only the intended files change before you apply.
What is a good use case for Rearrange?
The same idea applies to documents named Project - Client, exports named YYYY-MM-DD - Report, or any collection where the parts are right but the order is not. Because Rearrange is one of Batchio's composable rules, you can pair it with Change Case to normalize capitalization at the same time, or with Find & Replace to swap the separator afterward.
Everything runs in a single pass with a live preview, so restructuring hundreds of names takes seconds and never leaves you guessing about the result.
Rebuild Filenames in Any Order
Split on any divider and reorder the parts with simple $1, $2 placeholders. Batchio includes all 12 rule types free.
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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.