📁 Automatic file renaming with timestamp format for Google Drive
⚡ 446 views · 📁 File Management
Description
Description:
Streamline your cloud storage with this powerful Google Drive File Renamer automation built with n8n. The workflow watches a specific Google Drive folder and automatically renames new files using a standardized format based on their creation date and time—ideal for organizing images, backups, and uploads with consistent timestamp-based names. Whether you’re managing daily uploads, sorting Instagram-ready content, or organizing client submissions, this timestamp-based file naming system ensures consistent and searchable file structures—without manual intervention.
What This Template Does (Step-by-Step)
🔔 Google Drive Trigger – “Watch Folder” Setup
- Monitors a specific folder (e.g., “Instagram”)
- Detects new file creations every minute
- Captures file metadata like ID, createdTime, and extension
🧠 Set Formatted Name
- Extracts file creation time (e.g., 2025-07-22T14:45:10Z)
- Converts it into a structured name like IMG_20250722_1445.jpg
- Keeps original file extension (JPG, PNG, PDF, etc.)
✏️ Rename File (Google Drive)
- Renames the original file using Google Drive API
- Applies the new timestamped name
- Keeps file content, permissions, and location unchanged
Required Integrations: Google Drive API (OAuth2 credentials)
Best For:
📸 Content creators organizing uploads from mobile 🏷️ Branding teams enforcing uniform naming 🗄️ Admins managing scanned documents or backups 📂 Automated archives for media, reports, or daily snapshots
Key Benefits:
✅ Timestamped naming ensures chronological file tracking ✅ Reduces human error and messy file names ✅ Works in real-time (polls every minute) ✅ No-code: Deploy with drag-and-drop setup in n8n ✅ Fully customizable name patterns (e.g., change IMG_ prefix)
🔗 Nodes Used
Google Drive, Google Drive Trigger
📥 Import
Download workflow.json and import into n8n:
Workflow menu → Import from File