“One of the most important plugins on our site: Perfect plugin for our free stock photo website picjumbo. We’re using it for years to automatically rename our P001120.jpg photos to SEO-focused names like business-woman-using-a-computer-free-photo.jpg. This plugin really works! Thanks!” – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ viktorhanacek

Main Page | Support Forum | Documentation & How to

The "Rename Media Files: Improve Your WordPress SEO" plugin will simplify the process of managing media file names (images, PDFs, etc) and metadata, ensuring a tidy and search engine-friendly media repository.

If you're an SEO guru and would like to make a better website for search engines by focusing on Image SEO, or someone who enjoys their files to be perfectly organized, this plugin will turn your dreams into reality.

The plugin comes with several features, like the ability to remove accents and special characters from filenames upon upload, rename files based on post titles, Site URL, or current date, and update file permalinks accordingly.

The Pro version goes much further, with features like manual filename and permalink editing, updating old media references in post content, and automatic alt tag generation, the possibilities for optimizing your media library are endless

What are the available options provided by this plugin?

For now, you can choose these options:

• Add Site url: Inserts "yoursite.com" at the beggining of the file name. Ex: yoursite.com_filename.jpg. It is good for your SEO

• Post title: If you are on a post edit page called "Spiderman will leave Marvel" and you upload a jpg it will be called spiderman-will-leave-marvel-my-file.jpg. This option allows you to replace filename by post title or add the post title.

• Remove characters: Remove any characters you want from filename

• Datetime: You can add or replace filename by Datetime in any format you want

• Lowercase: Converts all characters to lowercase

• Remove accents

• Update permalink: When the filename is changed, you can also change its permalink if you want

How does this plugin work?

It renames files on upload using the available rules. More specifically, it uses some filters provided by WordPress to handle file name sanitizing, like sanitize_file_name, sanitize_file_name_chars or actions like add_attachment

What are rules?

Rules are options to control how your filename will be. Rules are enabled on the rules tab and have to be placed on the filename scructure option

What is filename structure option for?

It's the option where you can put your rules or any other characters you want to set how your filename will be

= Are there any hooks available? * frou_sanitize_file_name Creates custom rules. Take a look on (Can I create a custom rule?) * frou_ignored_extensions Ignores extensions. Take a look on (How to ignore extensions programmatically?)

= How to ignore extensions programmatically? You can use the 'frou_ignored_extensions' filter to ignore extensions programmatically. For example, if you'd like to ignore txt, js and zip extensions:

add_filter( 'frou_ignored_extensions', function ( $extensions ) {
    $extensions = array_merge( $extensions, array(
        'txt',
        'js',
        'zip',
    ) );
    return $extensions;
} );

= Can I create a custom rule? Yes. It's easy.

First, you have to create a custom rule in the filename structure option using curly braces, like {my_custom_rule}. You just have to write it, in any position you want.

Now you can use the filter frou_sanitize_file_name to create a custom function. For example, if you want to put the user id it would be something like this:

add_filter( 'frou_sanitize_file_name', function($filename_infs){
    $filename_infs['structure']['translation']['my_custom_rule'] = get_current_user_id();
    return $filename_infs;
}, 20 );

How can i contribute with code development?

Head over to the File Renaming on Upload plugin GitHub Repository to find out how you can pitch in

2.6.6 - 2025/10/15

• Updated libraries.
• Removed Algoritmika from contributors.

2.6.5 - 2025/05/15

• Fix - Translation loading was triggered too early.
• Tested up to: 6.8.

2.6.4 - 2025/02/15

• Fix - Improve settings.

2.6.3 - 2025/01/30

• Fix - Fixed current media post detection.

2.6.2 - 2025/01/27

• Fix - Fixed empty settings page.

2.6.1 - 2025/01/24

• Dev - Improved post id detection.
• Dev - Add Cross-selling library.
• Dev - Move settings to WPFactory menu.
• Fix - Fixed copyright.

2.6.0 - 2024/09/24

• Dev - Rules - Post title - New option added to use the {filename} if the post title is empty.

2.5.9 - 2024/08/07

• Fix - Fixed slow query on admin pages.
• Fix - Fixed multicheck settings.
• Tested up to: 6.6.

2.5.8 - 2024/05/16

• readme.txt content update.

2.5.7 - 2024/04/25

• Tested up to: 6.5.

2.5.6 - 2023/09/26

• Tested up to: 6.3.
• Update plugin icon, banner.

2.5.5 - 2023/06/30

• Fix - Sanitize multiselect fields properly.

2.5.4 - 2023/06/20

• Dev - New filter: frou_get_parent_post_title.

2.5.3 - 2023/05/18

• Fix - PHP warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type int.

2.5.2 - 2023/05/18

• Fix - Fields are not getting sanitized properly.
• Dev - Improve separator logic.
• Tested up to: 6.2.

2.5.1 - 2023/02/01

• Tested up to: 6.1.
• Move to WPFactory.

2.5.0 - 2022/08/12

• Tested up to: 6.0.

2.4.9 - 2022/02/21

• Improve "Convert characters to dash" option.
• Tested up to: 5.9.

2.4.8 - 2021/10/14

• Add "Max length" option for "Filename structure".

2.4.7 - 2021/09/20

• Fix - Both plugins can't be active at the same time.
• Improve composer setup.
• Improve readme.
• Tested up to: 5.8.

2.4.6 - 2021/07/02

• Fix timezone warning from datetime rule.
• Add frou_current_media_id filter.
• Add get_current_media_id() function.

2.4.5 - 2021/06/07

• Save original filename on new attachment.
• Update promoting notice.
• Improve coding standards.

2.4.4 - 2021/05/24

• Fix truncate option when used along with post title conversion.
• Change deploy script.

2.4.3 - 2021/03/15

• Fix truncate option by removing max limit.
• Tested up to: 5.7.

2.4.2 - 2021/02/25

• Add "Accents conversion method" option.
• Add transliterator_transliterate function as an option to convert characters.

2.4.1 - 2021/02/21

• Tested up to: 5.6.
• Add Gutenberg title fix option.
• Fix composer autoload call.
• Update readme.

2.4.0 - 2020/12/07

• Prevent dots from extension being converted to dash in "Rules > Filename > Convert".
• Add new_extension parameter on frou_sanitize_file_name hook.
• Add multiselect field on admin.
• Tested up to: 5.5.
• Add log to ignored file extensions.

2.3.9 - 2020/06/18

• Disable renaming when using WooCommerce Export Products.
• Create 'frou_renaming_validation' filter.
• Fix blocking by extension.
• Fix wrong string
• Improve datetime option
• Tested up to: 5.4

2.3.8 - 2019/11/26

• Fix posttitle rule removing spaces from titles

2.3.7 - 2019/11/17

• Fix 'posttitle' rule when title is formed with non latin characters.

2.3.6 - 2019/11/15

• Fix 'posttitle' rule after WordPress 5.3

2.3.5 - 2019/11/13

• Fix 'Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable'
• Tested up to: 5.3

2.3.4 - 2019/04/12

• Fix warning on 'upgrader_process_complete' hook where $options['plugins'] are not always present

2.3.3 - 2019/04/11

• Tested up to: 5.1

2.3.2 - 2019/02/10

• Improve Ignored Messages field
• Add sounds section on settings
• Improve premium notices on admin
• Add default ignored messages preventing empty popups
• Improve readme

2.3.1 - 2019/01/23

• Add filter 'frou_filename_allowed'
• Tested up to: 5.0

2.3.0 - 2018/11/02

• Add more names to ignore filenames option regarding visual composer
• Add 'frou_after_sanitize_file_name' filter
• Add option to not rename files without extension trying to prevent third party compatibility

2.2.9 - 2018/07/27

• Check if rules exist before convert filename
• Add more names to ignore filenames option regarding visual composer

2.2.8 - 2018/04/20

• Check if permalink option is enabled on add_attachment function

2.2.7 - 2018/03/30

• Make it compatible with Nextgen gallery plugin

2.2.6 - 2018/03/26

• Update translation file
• Add persian translation
• Config auto deploy with travis
• Add wp.org assets on github

2.2.5 - 2018/01/30

• Fix empty function

2.2.4 - 2018/01/26

• Add translation to some missing strings
• Add option to truncate filename

2.2.3 - 2017/11/27

• Fix notice checking
• Replace "install_plugins" permission by "edit_users"
• Tested up to WordPress 4.9

2.2.2

• Update pot file
• Add strings to translation

2.2.1

• Set transient on update

2.2.0

• Open tab if hash is present
• Improve settings api
• Create notice asking for review
• Create notice talking about the pro version
• Improve plugin's description

2.1.9

• Create a filter to get the parent post id (frou_parent_post_id)

2.1.8

• Create a filter to ignore filename extensions (frou_ignored_extensions)

2.1.7

• Improve function to get post title, even with unsaved posts

2.1.6

• Add new filter 'frou_admin_sections' to filter admin sections
• Improve settings api
• Update tested up to
• Restrict settings to administrators only

2.1.5

• Add new option to convert characters to dash

2.1.4

• Fix conflict on WeDevs settings API libraries

2.1.3

• Update Settings API class

2.1.2

• Start the plugin after plugins_loaded hook
• Fix github link
• Improve readme

2.1.1

• Add new option to ignore filenames
• Fix conflict with sitemap.xml generated by All in one SEO pack

2.1.0

• Add new option to remove non ASCII characters

2.0.8

• Solve more conflicts with github updater plugin

2.0.7

• Fix datetime option fatal error on update() boolean

2.0.6

• Solves more conflicts with github updater plugin

2.0.5

• Ignores more basenames ('option_page', 'action', 'wpnonce', 'wp_http_referer', 'github_updater_repo', 'github_updater_branch', 'github_updater_api', 'github_access_token', 'bitbucket_username', 'bitbucket_password', 'gitlab_access_token', 'submit', 'db_version', 'github_updater_install_repo') when there is no extension provided to solve more conflicts with github-updater plugin

2.0.4

• Ignores some basenames ('path', 'scheme', 'host', 'owner', 'repo', 'owner_repo', 'base_uri', 'uri') when there is no extension provided. It solves conflicts with github-updater plugin

2.0.3

• Improve description
• Add option to ignore renaming for some filename extensions
• Add new screenshot
• Remove portuguese and german translation packs from languages folder

2.0.2

• Improve Portuguese translation
• Add German translation

2.0.1

• Fix autoloader bug on linux environments

2.0.0

• Recreate the plugin with some new options

1.3

• Fix bug where site url should be home url instead

1.2

• Added an option to renames files based on post title
• Fixed a bug where some strings were not properly removed from site url

1.1

• Added an option to remove string parts from url

1.0.1

• Admin page class renamed

1.0

• Initial release

1. Upload the entire 'file-renaming-on-upload' folder to the '/wp-content/plugins/' directory
2. Activate the plugin through the 'Plugins' menu in WordPress
3. Start by visiting plugin settings at Settings > File Renaming

An exemple of a sanitized filename in Media Library



On general settings, setup how your filename will be, using the filename structure option where you have some rules at your disposal



Setup how the rules will work on your filename