Automatic file renaming with timestamp format for Google Drive
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)
Automatic File Renaming with Timestamp Format for Google Drive
This n8n workflow automates the process of renaming files in Google Drive by appending a timestamp to their names. It's designed to ensure unique file names and provide a clear chronological order for your documents.
What it does
This workflow simplifies file management by:
- Triggering on Google Drive Events: It listens for specific events in a designated Google Drive folder (e.g., new file uploads).
- Preparing Data: It extracts relevant file information and prepares it for renaming.
- Renaming Files: It renames the detected files in Google Drive by adding a timestamp to their original names.
Prerequisites/Requirements
- n8n Account: An active n8n instance (cloud or self-hosted).
- Google Drive Account: A Google account with access to Google Drive.
- Google Drive Credentials: You will need to set up Google Drive OAuth2 credentials in n8n to allow the workflow to interact with your Google Drive.
Setup/Usage
- Import the Workflow:
- Download the provided JSON file.
- In your n8n instance, click on "Workflows" in the left sidebar.
- Click "New" and then "Import from JSON".
- Paste the workflow JSON or upload the file.
- Configure Google Drive Trigger:
- Click on the "Google Drive Trigger" node.
- Select your Google Drive credential. If you don't have one, click "Create New" and follow the instructions to set up OAuth2 for Google Drive.
- Configure the "Folder ID" to the specific Google Drive folder you want to monitor for new files.
- Choose the "Events" you want to trigger the workflow (e.g., "File Created").
- Configure Google Drive Node:
- Click on the "Google Drive" node.
- Select the same Google Drive credential used in the trigger.
- Ensure the operation is set to "Rename" or similar, and that the new file name is being constructed with a timestamp.
- Activate the Workflow:
- Once configured, click the "Activate" toggle in the top right corner of the n8n editor to enable the workflow.
Now, whenever a new file is added to the specified Google Drive folder, the workflow will automatically rename it with a timestamp.
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