How do I let Nova give new files sensible names?

Goal

Have images, PDFs, Word, Excel, and video files in watched folders renamed by their content, and undo a rename.

Before you start

• Expert view. The switch is in How do I switch between Simple and Expert?
• A model that can read the content. For images, one with the Image badge. See How do I set up AI access?

Steps

1. Settings, Name files. The page is in the Tools group. Alerts & reminders no longer has an entry for it.
2. Turn on Name new files automatically. If there is no folder yet, Nova adds your screenshot folder. Add folder … adds more, up to 20. Per folder, Name starts with narrows the files, empty means all.
3. File types: images, PDF, Word, Excel, and video. For video, a still frame and the start of the audio count.
4. Naming rules: Language (same as the content or same as the interface), Capitalisation, Date first, and a maximum number of words. The Extra prompt adds your own wishes to the request to the model.
5. If the content has an invoice or letter date, Nova puts that date first, otherwise the file date. Nova only uses dates and numbers that really appear in the file. If a date is ambiguous, the history says so.
6. After renaming: Nothing, Bubble only, or Bubble and voice.
7. The line Running now shows whether naming runs locally or in the cloud, and with which model. The link next to it leads to Privacy & security, tab Classes & sources.
8. With a local model, Nova is considerate to the Mac: while you work, it names files more slowly. With low battery, heat or tight memory it pauses, and the card shows why. The shortcut always runs right away. You can turn this off under Providers and connections, switch Be considerate to the Mac.
9. Shortcut Rename selected in Finder: select files in the Finder and press the key. That also works outside the folders above and for files Nova has named before. You set the key only under Keyboard shortcuts, the Window & speech tab, menu Command, button Change, for example ⌥⌘R. On this page, Change in Shortcuts leads there. The first time, macOS asks for permission to use the Finder.
10. Open History: the last 200 renames, old → new. Undo gives the file its old name back.
11. Rename a whole folder …: Nova suggests a name for every file in the chosen folder and renames nothing yet. You check the list; unclear cases are at the top without a tick. Apply renames the ticked files, Undo all brings the old names back. This only works with a local model.

Example

Turn it on, take a screenshot, and wait. “Screenshot 2026-10-23 at 09.14.22.png” gets a short name from its content. Press Undo in History and the old name is back.

Common problems

• Nova only renames, in the same folder. It never moves, deletes, or copies.
• A folder outside your user folders cannot be added. Nova may not write there.
• When very many new files arrive within a minute, Nova pauses and asks in the bubble whether to rename them all.
• If the local model cannot read images, Nova uses another installed model with Image. If there is none, the shortcut asks once about a cloud model. The image then goes to the provider.
• The shortcut says Nova may not ask the Finder what is selected. Then allow the Finder for Nova in System Settings under Privacy & Security, Automation.
• With Privacy Lock, Nova names no files. In quiet mode it keeps renaming, without a message.