How to prepare a bulk product-image rename manifest

A practical workflow for sellers with dozens or hundreds of product photos.

A rename manifest is simply a two-column list that maps each original image filename to the new name you want it to have: IMG_4821.jpg → handwoven-cotton-throw-sage-green-hct-001-1.jpg. Preparing one before you rename anything means you can review every change in one place, catch duplicates, and apply the renames in a single predictable pass instead of clicking through files one by one.

1. Decide a naming convention first

Consistency matters more than cleverness. A good product-image filename is descriptive, stable, and machine-safe. A reliable pattern is:

{product}-{key-attribute}-{sku}-{image-number}.{ext}
e.g. leather-card-wallet-cognac-lcw-220-1.jpg

Pick the attributes that actually distinguish your variants (color, size, material) and put the most human-meaningful ones first. Keep the SKU in the name so you can always trace a file back to a catalog row.

2. Apply consistent slug rules

A "slug" is the URL- and filesystem-safe version of a piece of text. Apply the same rules to every name:

• Lowercase everything — avoids case-sensitivity surprises across operating systems and servers.
• Strip accents and diacritics — café becomes cafe.
• Replace spaces and punctuation with a single separator (hyphen is the safest choice for the web).
• Remove unsafe characters — anything that isn't a letter, number, or your separator.
• Cap the length — very long filenames get truncated by some systems; 60–80 characters is a comfortable ceiling.

In AltForge these rules are applied deterministically, so the same input always produces the same output — important when you re-run a batch after fixing a typo.

3. Number images within each product

Most products have several photos. Append a sequence number so the order is preserved and names stay unique: ...-1.jpg, ...-2.jpg. Set Images per product in the tool so it knows how many photos belong to each catalog row before the sequence resets.

4. Hunt down duplicates before you rename

Two different photos that resolve to the same filename will overwrite each other on many systems — a silent, painful data loss. This is the single biggest reason to build a manifest first.

5. Fill the gaps

Missing a title or SKU on a row usually means a weak, generic filename. Use the Products panel to complete any rows flagged with a missing-field warning, then regenerate.

6. Export and review the manifest

Export the manifest as CSV (two columns: original_filename, proposed_filename) or as a plain-text original → proposed list. Open it and skim the whole thing once. It should read cleanly top to bottom, with no duplicates and no surprises.

7. Apply the renames safely

Always work on a copy of your image folder, never the originals, until you've confirmed the results. A few common ways to apply a manifest:

• Bulk-rename apps that accept a CSV mapping.
• A spreadsheet formula that builds shell mv / PowerShell Rename-Item commands from the two columns.
• Manual, for small batches — the manifest is your checklist.

After renaming, spot-check a handful of files against the manifest, then re-import to your store.

Related: Writing better alt text · Bulk rename product photos · SKU & filename naming