Name a file after its title
The job detects the title in the document and uses it as the file name. A PDF saved under a number or a random string comes back with a name you can recognize in a folder listing.
Auto rename PDF
or drop a file anywhere here
Dropbox
Google Drive
Files other than PDF are converted first. Signing in raises the size limit.
Or start from a blank IRS form
Browse all IRS forms →- You add
- One PDF
- You set
- The largest text as the title
- You get
- The PDF under a title-based name
Auto renaming a PDF means giving the file a name taken from what the document says, in place of a name like document(3) or a string of digits. You add one PDF here and start the rename, and indox looks for the document's title and returns the PDF under a file name built from it. The tool takes the largest text it finds as the title. A Fall back to the first text on the page checkbox is shown, but it changes nothing in the engine indox runs. You do not type the name yourself, and you do not see it until the file downloads. One rename runs without an account.
What can you do when you auto rename a PDF?
Know what the fallback box does
Fall back to the first text on the page is unchecked when the options appear. In the engine indox runs, a title is missing only when the document has no text at all, and then the fallback has no text to use either, so checking the box changes nothing.
Get a name that is safe to save
Before the file is stored, indox removes characters that file systems reject, such as colons, quotes, question marks and asterisks. It trims stray dots and spaces, cuts a very long name at 120 characters and ends the name in .pdf.
Download the renamed copy
The new name travels with the download, so the file lands in your downloads folder already renamed. The PDF on your device keeps its old name until you delete or replace it.
What auto rename keeps and changes
Stays the same
- Every page, with its text and images. Nothing inside the pages is edited.
- The title stored inside the PDF. Edit PDF Metadata is the tool that sets it.
- The file on your device, which keeps its old name.
Changes
- The download carries a new file name taken from the document.
- The engine reads the first 200 lines of text and picks the text set in the largest type size. Neighboring lines in the same size are joined.
- Characters that file systems reject, such as colons, quotes and question marks, are removed from the name.
- When no usable name is found, or the text is 255 characters or longer, the file comes back under a name based on the original.
How to auto rename a PDF in 3 steps
Add the PDF with the unhelpful name
Drop the badly named file on the upload box or use Choose file. The auto rename tool takes one PDF per run.
Leave the fallback box alone
Fall back to the first text on the page changes nothing in the current engine, so leave it unchecked. The name comes from the largest text in the document either way.
Run it and check the downloaded name
Press Run Auto Rename, then Download. Read the name of the saved file, and rename it by hand if the title is not what you expected.
Why auto rename a PDF with indox?
Renaming by hand means opening each file, reading the first page and typing. This page does the reading for you. The name it produces is cleaned of characters that file systems reject, and it arrives on the download with no extra step. A single rename runs without an account. The PDF travels over HTTPS, and on the free tier indox deletes files automatically within 24 hours after the auto rename job finishes. The page is also honest about control: you cannot preview or edit the name here, so treat the result as a suggestion and check it.
- File name taken from the document's title
- Title taken from the largest text
- Names cleaned and ended in .pdf
- One rename without an account
- PDF sent over HTTPS
What are the limits when you auto rename a PDF?
- Size
- The free tier has a file size limit. Signing in raises it, and paid plans raise it further.
- Formats
- This tool works on PDF files. To change a file's type, use the PDF converter.
- Privacy
- Files are encrypted in transit and processed on indox infrastructure.
- Deletion
- Free-tier files are deleted automatically within 24 hours after the job finishes. Signed-in output stays in your history for your plan's retention period.
Limits worth knowing
- The upload box takes one PDF. There is no batch mode, so a folder of files means one run per file.
- You cannot type, edit or preview the name on this page. The tool chooses it, and you see it on the downloaded file.
- There is no naming pattern. The page has no fields for dates, counters, prefixes or author names.
- The detected title is the largest text the engine finds, which is not always the title you expect. The fallback checkbox does not change that.
- Only the file name is in scope. The tool has no field for the title stored inside the PDF, which Edit PDF Metadata sets.
When the name is not what you expected
| What you see | Why | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The name is a banner or a chapter heading | The engine picks the text in the largest type size near the start, and that is not always the title | Rename the downloaded file by hand, or run it again on a copy that opens with a clear title. |
| A scan gets the old name or an odd one | A scan has no text layer, so there is nothing to read | Run OCR PDF first, then rename the searchable copy. |
| Words from separate lines run together | Neighboring lines in the same type size are joined into one name | Shorten the name on your device after you download it. |
| Part of the title is missing from the name | Characters that file systems reject are removed | This is expected. Rename the file by hand if you need those characters. |
| The title inside the PDF did not change | Only the file name changes | Set the stored title with Edit PDF Metadata. |
What do the free and paid plans add?
Free
- All converters
- Daily credit refresh
- Email support
Basic
- Access to all features
- AI Extract
- Priority conversions
- Email support
Highest priority
Premium
- Everything in Basic
- Highest priority queue
- Larger file limits
- Priority support
Pay-As-You-Go
- No subscription
- Credits never expire
- Opt-in auto-refill
- Access to all features
What else can you do with a PDF?
Who auto renames PDFs?
People filing statements and forms
Portals often hand out PDFs called document.pdf or a row of digits. A name taken from the title tells you what the file is without opening it.
Researchers and students
Papers downloaded from journals and archives often arrive under an ID number. A title-based name makes a reading folder easier to scan.
Office staff tidying shared drives
Reports and contracts come in by email with names like final_v3. Renaming by title keeps a shared folder readable for everyone.
When to auto rename, and when to pick another tool
- A downloaded paper is named with digits and you want its title on the file.
- A statement or form arrived as document.pdf and has to be filed.
- A report exported from an app carries a random string as its name.
- A few attachments need readable names before you pass them on.
- You already know the name you want. Renaming the file on your own device needs no upload, and this page has no box for typing a name.
Where can I read more?
Sources
- AutoRenameController.javaStirling-PDF source code, v2.14.2
- Naming Files, Paths, and NamespacesMicrosoft Learn
Facts checked on October 16, 2026
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Auto Rename FAQs
Where does the new file name come from?
From the title the tool detects in the document: the largest text among the first 200 lines. The Fall back to the first text on the page checkbox changes nothing, because a title is missing only when the document has no text, and then the fallback has no text either.
Can I choose or edit the name myself?
Not here. The page has no name box and no preview. If the result is not right, rename the downloaded file on your device.
Where do I see the new name?
On the file you download. The page shows Download when the job is done but does not display the name, so check your downloads folder.
Can I rename several PDFs at once?
No. The upload box accepts one file, so every PDF you want renamed is a separate run. Choose Convert another to start the next one.
Will it work on a scanned PDF?
A scan with no text layer gives the tool no text to name the file from, so the file keeps its own name and the fallback box cannot help. Run OCR PDF on the scan first so the pages contain text, then rename the searchable copy.
Does auto rename change the content of my PDF?
The tool is built to change the file name and offers no setting that edits pages or text. It also leaves the title stored inside the file to Edit PDF Metadata.
Do I have to sign up to rename a PDF?
No. Auto Rename is on the free tier, and one rename runs without an account.
Is my document kept after it is renamed?
Not for long on the free tier: the PDF you sent and the copy carrying its new file name are deleted automatically within 24 hours after the job finishes. Both are transferred over HTTPS.