Path Component Actions

The Path Components category adds one or more levels of parent folder names to the file name, so that the location of a file survives when it is moved or merged.

• Add path components to beginning and Add path components to end
• Insert path components in front of existing text, Insert path components after existing text and Insert path components at position

Use: chooses the parent folder or 2 levels to 6 levels of parent folders. The folder names are joined with the text in the Add: … to separate path components field, and Prefix: and Suffix: surround the whole block. If not enough parent folders exist decides whether to add as many as you can or leave the file name untouched.

Example with 2 levels and - as separator: 2026/Paris/IMG_4821.jpg → 2026-Paris IMG_4821.jpg.

To add only the enclosing folder, see the parent folder name actions. The folder levels come from the location of each file on disk, so with subfolders processed one rename covers a whole folder tree.

Example

A photo archive is organised as 2026/Paris/IMG_4821.jpg, 2026/Rome/IMG_4822.jpg, … and the photos are about to be copied to a single folder on a phone.

1. Add the photos to the list, or the archive folder with Subfolders and their contents ticked
2. Choose Add path components to beginning and set Use: to 2 levels of parent folders
3. Enter - in Add: … to separate path components and a space in Suffix:

IMG_4821.jpg becomes 2026-Paris IMG_4821.jpg and IMG_4822.jpg becomes 2026-Rome IMG_4822.jpg.