How to Rename a File (PDFs and Other File Formats)

Change the Name of Any File on a PC or Mac

If a PDF is downloaded on your device, you can change its location on your computer and make a lot of adjustments to it. Sometimes you’ve edited or annotated a PDF but want to keep the original document just in case. But how do you differentiate between the original and edited versions? How do you rename a PDF? How do you change the name of aPDF on Windows and Mac?

The process for renaming PDFs is the same as for renaming any type of file. We’ll be going through how to do this on both Windows and Mac so you can keep your files organized. Remember to keep the names straight so you don’t get your files mixed up!

Rename Files On a Mac

First, locate your PDF either in the finder or on your desktop. Then, right-click it.

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Select Rename and you’ll be able to remove or add text to the name of the file by typing on your keyboard.

You can also single click on the file name on your desktop.

screenshot showing a renamed pdf on a macbook pro

This process works for any file type on your Mac.

If you want to make sure you’re renaming the correct PDF or are otherwise already editing the PDF, you can rename it in Preview. Open your PDF in Preview and select File >> Rename.

screenshot showing how to rename a pdf in apple preview

You will then be prompted to enter text for your PDF to be named.

Rename Files On a PC

First, locate your PDF either in your file explorer or on your desktop.

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Once you’ve located it, right-click it. You can then select Rename to change the name.

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If the text is highlighted, you know you’ve done it correctly. You can then add or remove any text you’d like by typing on your keyboard.

after right clicking type the new name of the pdf -- windows 11 tutorial how to change a pdf file name

This process will work for any file on your Windows machine. Remember what you’ve renamed your file and where it’s located on your computer!

If you have your PDF open on a PDF reader or a web browser, when saving the PDF, you can change its name by selecting the text next to File Name. Once you’ve changed the file name, select Save to save the newly named PDF on your computer.

screenshot showing how to change a file name using a windows pc finder

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