Rename PDFs with AI

Rename PDFs with AI using Zush to read invoices, contracts, scans, and reports, then turn weak filenames into searchable document titles. Zush renames files in place, with optional AI folder sorting (beta).

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scan_001.pdf

Amazon Invoice March.pdf

document.pdf

Employment Contract.pdf

download.pdf

Tax Return 2025 Federal.pdf

attachment-3.pdf

Lease Agreement 123 Main.pdf

IMG_20260310_scan.pdf

Home Depot Receipt.pdf

report_final_v2.pdf

Q1 Revenue Report.pdf

Turn a scanned invoice into a searchable filename

Use the invoice date, supplier, and invoice number instead of the scanner’s counter. Zush renames PDFs in their current folders; you can optionally enable AI folder sorting (beta) and define supplier or month rules.

Original filenameScan0001.pdf

Example new filename2026-09-01_Acme_INV-1042.pdf

Illustrative invoice: date 1 September 2026, supplier Acme, invoice number INV-1042.

Use the Invoice date, supplier and number template

Open Templates in Zush, create a template named Invoice date, supplier and number, and use these instructions in its custom prompt. Save it, generate names for a small batch, and review before applying.

Name each invoice using its invoice date in YYYY-MM-DD format, supplier name, and invoice number, separated by underscores. Use the invoice date, not the scan date or due date. Include only fields clearly present in the document. Omit unreadable or missing fields rather than guessing. Keep the original file extension.

Scans can contain unreadable numbers or several dates. Verify each field against the PDF. Renaming does not add an OCR text layer or alter the invoice contents.

Invoice Template setup · How to save a Template

Try this workflow free — 50 renames

Mac — 50 free renames

Windows — 50 free renames

No signup or credit card required. Preview the names before applying them.

Rename PDFs by title, author, or document date

Zush suggests PDF filenames from document content. For papers, choose author, year, and title; for invoices, vendor, invoice date, and number. It reads available text or analyzes scanned pages with AI vision, then shows the proposed names for review.

Start with copies of a few representative PDFs. Choose one document type and save the fields you need in a Template. If you only need a shared prefix or numbered sequence, use your file manager’s batch rename tools.
Compare each suggestion with the document. Check the paper title rather than a running header, publication year rather than download year, and invoice date rather than due date. Correct uncertain fields and omit information that is missing.
Apply the reviewed names, open a few files, and check rename history. Enable folder monitoring only after the Template works on typical files and difficult scans.

download (7).pdf2026_Acme_Annual-Report.pdf

Illustrative pattern: verified year + organization + document title. This is a naming example, not an extraction benchmark.

AI can misread a scan or choose the wrong date. PDF metadata may also be missing or inaccurate. Renaming does not add an OCR text layer, split a combined PDF, or maintain a citation library. Test copies before renaming files linked from other apps.

From a downloaded PDF to a name you can find

Start with a few copies of your invoices, contracts, or scans. Review the suggested names before applying a batch.

Add your PDFs
Use a small folder first. Text PDFs provide document context; image-only scans need a vision-capable AI mode.
Choose the fields you need
For invoices, combine the document date, vendor, and invoice number in a Template. A date at the start keeps names sortable.
Review, then rename
Check dates and identifiers against the document. Correct missing or mistaken fields before applying; use rename history if you need to revert.

2026-08-18_Northstar-Studio_NS-1042.pdf

Illustrative invoice naming pattern: document date + vendor + invoice number. Exact output depends on your Template and AI mode.

See an actual result from our eight-file test

A fictional invoice for Northstar Studio, number NS-1042. The recorded suggestion kept the vendor and invoice number; it did not include the invoice date.

file_001.pdf → Счет NS-1042 От Northstar Studio.pdf

Recorded on September 5, 2026, with Zush 3.11.0 on Mac, Cloud AI and the existing Smart Title Name template. This configuration produced Russian names. The file was renamed and its contents stayed byte-for-byte identical. This small test is not an accuracy guarantee.

A useful name identifies the content and includes the details you need. More words do not automatically make it better. Use Naming Blocks and Templates to choose the fields and structure your workflow needs. Custom field extraction was not tested in this run.

Read the test setup, inputs and results

Do not treat an inferred date or number as a verified accounting field. Poor scans and missing information can produce incomplete suggestions. Renaming changes the filename, not the PDF contents.

Set up an invoice naming workflow

PDF naming workflows

Built for invoices, contracts, scans, and statements

PDF cleanup is different from renaming photos or screenshots. The useful filename is usually hidden in the document text: vendor names, counterparties, dates, form numbers, billing periods, and signatures.

Illustrative naming patterns. Check dates, parties, and identifiers against the PDF before applying. Set aside unclear files and use rename history to restore names when needed.

scan_001.pdf

Amazon Invoice 2026-03.pdf

Invoices

Vendor, document type, invoice period, and date keep accounting folders sortable.

signed-final.pdf

Acme NDA Signed 2026-03-14.pdf

Contracts

Counterparty, agreement type, status, and date make legal PDFs easier to retrieve.

download (7).pdf

Chase Statement March 2026.pdf

Statements

Institution and reporting period are pulled from the PDF instead of guessed from the download name.

IMG_20260310_scan.pdf

Home Depot Receipt March 10.pdf

Scanned receipts

For image-only scans, AI vision reads visible page content when there is no embedded text layer.

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Bulk rename files by real content before you apply changes

Your naming system, powered by AI

Combine file content, metadata, dates, custom instructions, and reusable blocks into filenames that match the way you work. Zush suggests — you review and decide.

Smart Batch Rename

Analyze and rename 100+ file formats in one batch, from images, EPUB and FB2 ebooks, and PDFs to audio, video, and Office files. Describe any detail for Zush to extract, then reuse it as a Custom AI Block in any template.

Choose where AI runs

Choose Zush Cloud, BYOK, LM Studio or Ollama for the same review-first rename workflow.

Cloud AI

Goes through our relay to a commercial AI provider, under their standard API terms. The relay exists so the API key can’t be pulled out of the app.

Bring Your Own Key

Connect your own API key from Gemini, OpenRouter, OpenAI, or Claude for cloud renames; FREE includes 50 across all modes and PRO is unlimited. Keys are stored locally in secure platform storage.

Private Local AI Options

Keep supported analysis on your device with LM Studio or Ollama. Each local mode works offline after setup.

Watch one or multiple folders — including iCloud Drive, Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive folders. Zush runs in the background and processes new files automatically.

Supported File Formats

Images

pngjpgjpegjpewebpavifgifbmpdibtifftifheicheicsheifsvgpdfjp2jpfjpxj2kj2cexrtgaicoicnspbmpgmppmpfmcr2cr3nefarwdngorfrafrw2pefsrwsr2raw

Documents

pdftxtmdjsonemlcsvtsvlogxmlyamlymlsrtvttrtfodtodsodppagesnumberskeydocdocxdocmdotxdotmpptpptxpptmpotxpotmppsxppsmxlsxlsxxlsmxltxxltmepubfb2fb2.zip

Videos

mp4movqtm4vmpegmpgm2v3gp3gpp3g23gp2dvtsmtsm2tsvob

Audio

mp3m4awavflacoggwebmmpga

Design

sketchfigaipsd

Try Zush free

Rename and organize files with AI, monitor folders, and clean up screenshots, design files, PDFs, photos, audio, videos, iWork, and Office documents by content.

Download for Mac

Download for Windows

Free · No credit card required · macOS Sequoia+ · Windows 10+

Available on both desktops

Pick your platform — same Zush, native everywhere

A signed and notarized .dmg, Mac App Store build, or Homebrew cask for macOS. A Microsoft Store install for Windows. Same renaming engine, same BYOK and Local AI mode, native to each OS.

Zush for Mac

Apple Silicon and Intel · macOS 15+ · App Store + .dmg + Homebrew

See Mac details

Zush for Windows

x64 and ARM64 · Windows 10/11 · Microsoft Store

See Windows details

Workflow comparison

Where Zush fits next to Finder, Preview, and Adobe Acrobat

Zush does not replace PDF readers or editors. It fills the repetitive filename step after PDFs are downloaded, scanned, signed, exported, or received by email.

ToolBest forFilename gap

Finder / File ExplorerOne-off manual renamesYou still have to open each PDF, read it, decide on a name, and repeat that for every file.

PreviewReading, marking up, exporting, and signing PDFs on MacPreview does not batch-generate content-aware filenames for invoices, contracts, scans, and statements.

Adobe AcrobatOCR, editing, forms, signatures, and PDF review workflowsAcrobat helps manage PDF content, but filename cleanup is still largely a separate manual workflow.

ZushTurning weak PDF filenames into searchable document namesZush reads text layers or scanned pages, extracts entities and dates, then previews names before applying them.

Working with vendor bills rather than mixed PDFs? Use the invoice auto-renaming guidefor accounting Templates, field extraction, and bulk PDF tool comparisons.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Zush rename scanned PDFs that contain images instead of text?

Yes. When a PDF contains scanned pages rather than selectable text, Zush falls back to AI vision models that can read the content from the page images. This works well for scanned invoices, receipts, and letters.

How does Zush extract text from PDF files?

Zush uses a built-in PDF parser to read the embedded text layer. It pulls out key information like titles, headings, dates, and names from the first few pages, then sends that context to the AI to generate a meaningful filename.

Can I rename a folder of invoices at once?

Yes. Zush handles batch review for invoice folders, so you can drop a folder of invoices, review the generated names, and apply them in one pass. The AI identifies vendor names, amounts, and dates to create consistent, sortable filenames.

Will renaming affect the PDF content or bookmarks?

No. Zush only changes the filename on disk. The PDF content, bookmarks, annotations, form fields, and all internal structure remain completely unchanged.

Can Zush add dates to PDF filenames automatically?

Yes. When the AI detects dates within the document content, it can include them in the generated filename. You can also configure custom naming patterns to control where the date appears and in what format.

How is this different from Adobe Acrobat, Preview, or Finder?

Adobe Acrobat and Preview are useful for opening, editing, signing, exporting, and reviewing PDFs. Finder and File Explorer can rename files manually. Zush focuses on the missing workflow between them: reading each PDF, understanding the document type and entities, and generating a searchable filename for a whole batch.

What naming patterns work best for invoices and contracts?

For invoices, a pattern like vendor-date-invoice-number keeps folders sortable. For contracts, party-document-type-status-date usually works better, such as Acme-NDA-signed-2026-03-14.pdf. Zush can follow these patterns while still adapting to the content of each PDF.

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