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Help›Settings, naming and metadata›Change how files are named on download

Settings, naming and metadata

Change how files are named on download

All users

File Naming

Automatic filename patterns, single photo rename, and gallery-level controls.

Overview

GalleryID supports token-based automatic file renaming. Instead of keeping original camera filenames like DSC_0001.jpg, photos can be renamed using a customizable pattern built from tokens such as date, folder name, person names, photographer initials, and more.

Renaming only changes the display name. Your original camera filenames are always preserved and can be restored at any time.

Available Tokens

Tokens are placeholders that get replaced with real values when the rename runs. You can combine any tokens with separators to build your pattern.

TokenWhat It InsertsExample
DatePhoto capture date26-0404
TimePhoto capture time131500
Sequence #Auto-incrementing number001, 002, 003
Letter SeqAuto-incrementing letterA, B, C
GalleryGallery titleSpring_Football
FolderParent folder nameCollege
SubfolderChild folder nameBVOL
PersonsRecognized people in the photoGrace_Hong
Last NameSurname onlyHong
First NameGiven name onlyGrace
EventEvent name from the gallerySenior_Night
TitlePhoto titleMatch_Point
KeywordsKeywords on the photoVolleyball
Original FilenameThe name as it came off the cardDSC_4821
PhotographerPhotographer name from EXIFAl_Sermeno
InitialsPhotographer initials (from org map)ADS
CustomCustom label set per galleryGame1
Org TokenOrganization-wide identifierCAL
Date, Time, Sequence, and Letter tokens have selectable formats (e.g., YYYY-MM-DD vs YY-MMDD). Separators (-, _, or space) can be placed between any tokens.

Setting Up a Pattern (Org Admin)

Add Token chips above, the pattern below
Add Token chips above, the pattern below. Drag badges to reorder.
Lock pattern org-wide, allow members to rename, and auto-apply to new uploads
Lock pattern org-wide, allow members to rename, and auto-apply to new uploads.
Photographer initials feed the Initials token
Photographer initials feed the Initials token.
A pattern becoming a filename
Pattern
Date{DATE:YY-MMDD}_Persons{PERSONS}_Gallery{GALLERY}_Sequence #{SEQ:001}
At upload
26-0909__State-vs-Southern_001.jpg
After MatchID approves a name
26-0909_Elena_Castillo_State-vs-Southern_001.jpg
Original, always kept
DSC_0412.jpg
Each badge is a token from the Add Token row; the amber badges are separators. Tokens resolve per photo. The name is written twice when auto-apply is on: once at upload, when no one has been identified yet, so the Persons segment is empty, and again when MatchID approves a name. The original camera filename is kept either way.

Organization admins configure the default filename pattern from the Org Dashboard.

  1. 1

    Open Org Dashboard → Gallery Settings → File Naming

    Navigate to Org Dashboard, open Settings, then click the File Naming tab at the top.
  2. 2

    Build your pattern

    Click tokens or drag the badges to assemble your pattern. Click between badges to set the insert position. The pattern saves the moment you add, remove, or reorder a token.
  3. 3

    Set the space replacement and toggles

    Pick how spaces in token values are handled (underscore, hyphen, or keep spaces). Toggle "Lock pattern org-wide", "Allow members to rename", and "Auto-apply to new uploads" as needed. All three commit on toggle.
  4. 4

    Enter your Organization Token

    The Organization Token is a text input. Type your token (e.g. "CAL"), then click Save below the field. Click Cancel to discard.
  5. 5

    Map photographer initials

    Use "Add from team" to pull a user from your org, or "Add external photographer" for outside contributors. Each row's initials cell is inline-edit: type new initials and click out (or press Enter) to save. Press Escape to discard.
There's no Save Changes button on this tab. Pattern segments and toggles auto-save as soon as you change them. Text fields (Organization Token, photographer initials) stage your edits so a typo doesn't get committed mid-keystroke.

Admin Options

  • •Space replacement: controls how spaces inside token values are handled (underscore, hyphen, or keep spaces)
  • •Org Token value: a custom identifier that applies to all photos org-wide (e.g., "CAL")
  • •Photographer initials map: assign custom initials per photographer name (e.g., "Al Sermeno" → "ADS")
  • •Lock filename pattern: prevents non-admin users from changing the pattern
  • •Allow user rename: lets non-admin users apply rename patterns to their galleries

Auto-Rename Behavior

When "Auto-apply to new uploads" is enabled, renaming happens in two stages:

  1. 1

    At upload time

    Photos are immediately renamed with all available data, date, folder, gallery name, photographer, etc. Tokens like Persons will be empty at this stage since facial recognition hasn't run yet.
  2. 2

    After facial recognition completes

    The system automatically re-applies the pattern with the now-identified person names filled in. This happens automatically, no action needed.
Example with pattern DATE:YY-MMDD-FOLDER-PERSONS-PHOTOG_INITIALS:
At upload: 26-0404-College-ADS.jpg
After face rec: 26-0404-College-Grace_Hong-ADS.jpg

Gallery-Level Controls

Each gallery has a File Naming tab in its settings (click the gear icon inside any gallery). From here you can:

  • •Override the pattern: use a different filename pattern for just this gallery. Click "Override for this gallery" to start with the org pattern and customize it.
  • •Set a Custom Label: if your pattern includes the Custom token, you can set a per-gallery value (e.g., "Game1", "Headshots", "Action Shots").
  • •Apply Pattern to All Photos: manually trigger a bulk rename on all photos in the gallery using the current pattern.
  • •Reset to Original Filenames: remove all display names and restore original camera filenames.
If the org admin has locked the pattern, the override option will not be available. The gallery will use the org default pattern.

Single Photo Rename

Individual photos can be renamed directly from the gallery browser using the right-click context menu.

  1. 1

    Right-click a photo

    Inside any gallery, right-click on the photo you want to rename.
  2. 2

    Select "Rename"

    Choose Rename from the context menu.
  3. 3

    Type a new name

    The rename dialog shows the current filename. Type your new name, the file extension (e.g., .jpg) is preserved automatically.
  4. 4

    Check for duplicates

    A live duplicate check runs as you type. If another photo in the same gallery already has that name, you'll see a red warning and the Rename button will be disabled.
  5. 5

    Save

    Click Rename or press Enter to save. The new name takes effect immediately everywhere.
Each photo in a gallery must have a unique filename. The duplicate check prevents naming conflicts that would cause issues when downloading multiple photos.

Where Renamed Names Appear

The renamed display name shows everywhere throughout GalleryID:

  • •Gallery browser, grid view, list view, and lightbox
  • •Photo detail and edit views
  • •Public gallery pages and shared collection links
  • •Buyer-facing views, favorites, cart, and purchases
  • •Downloaded files, single downloads and ZIP exports
  • •Purchase confirmation emails
If no display name has been set, the original camera filename is always shown as a fallback. Nothing is ever lost.

Troubleshooting

Person names are missing from renamed files

Person names come from facial recognition, which runs after the upload completes. If auto-apply is enabled, the system will automatically re-rename after facial recognition finishes. If auto-apply is off, go to Gallery Settings → File Naming and click "Apply Pattern to All Photos" after facial recognition completes.

Folder token is empty

The Folder token pulls the name of the folder your gallery is inside. If a gallery is at the root level (not inside any folder), this token will be empty. Move the gallery into a folder and re-apply the pattern.

Cannot rename, pattern is locked

If you see "Pattern locked by organization admin," the org admin has locked the filename pattern. Contact your admin to change the pattern or unlock it. You can still rename individual photos using the right-click menu.

Related

GalleryID

Athlete naming for sports photographers and athletic departments. GalleryID Desktop ingests, culls and captions on your own computer, and nothing is uploaded; SidelineID is Desktop on your phone at the game. GalleryID Cloud is the hosted archive you search by athlete name. The built-in Roster Library covers NCAA Division I, II and III and the major US pro leagues.

Find photos by athlete, not by filename.

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