Safely Rename a Batch of Photos with a GitHub Copilot Script

Make a working copy of your photos

Right-click your photo folder in your file manager, choose Copy, then Paste somewhere easy to find, like your Desktop. Rename the copy to something like photos-test. This is the folder you'll experiment on.

On macOS, you can also select the folder and press Option-drag to duplicate it. On Windows, hold Ctrl while dragging. You'll see a second folder appear next to your originals, with all the same files inside.

If it looks different: If your photos live in cloud storage like Google Drive or iCloud, the same Copy/Paste idea works — just make sure the copy finishes syncing before you start renaming anything. Some file managers hide the "Paste" option inside an Edit menu; look there if right-click doesn't show it.

You'll know it worked when you see two folders: your untouched originals and a clearly named test copy.

Open the test folder in VS Code

Open VS Code, then go to File → Open Folder… and pick your new photos-test folder. VS Code's left sidebar (called the Explorer) now lists every photo in the folder.

A workspace in VS Code is simply the folder you opened — think of it as putting that folder "on your desk" so the editor can see everything inside it. Nothing is moved or copied; VS Code is just looking.

If it looks different: On the VS Code welcome screen, there's a big Open Folder button you can click instead. If the Explorer sidebar is hidden, use View → Explorer to bring it back.

You'll know it worked when the names of your test photos appear in the left sidebar.

Open the Copilot chat panel

In VS Code, open the Copilot Chat panel. The keyboard shortcut is Ctrl+Alt+I on Windows and Linux, or Cmd+Shift+I on macOS. A chat window appears — usually on the side of the window.

Copilot is an AI coding assistant: you describe what you want in plain language, and it suggests code. You don't have to understand the code right now — that's the whole point of having an AI helper.

If it looks different: If the shortcut doesn't open anything, look for a small chat-bubble icon in the VS Code sidebar, or use the menu View → Copilot Chat. Some older versions put Copilot under File → Preferences instead.

You'll know it worked when a chat box is visible with a blinking text cursor, ready for your message.

Describe your renaming task in plain English

Click into the chat box and type what you want. Be specific about the folder, the file types, and the new naming pattern. Copilot reads your message and proposes a Python script in the chat.

The more clearly you describe the rule, the better the script will be. If your rule is "rename to vacation-001.jpg, vacation-002.jpg, …", say that exactly. If you want the date taken included, ask for that too.

If it looks different: Copilot might ask a follow-up question like "What folder should I use?" — just answer in the same chat. If it offers several code blocks, pick the one that looks closest to what you asked for and ignore the rest.

You'll know it worked when a code block appears in the chat with a Python script inside it.

Save the script and run it on the test folder

When Copilot shows a script, look for a small "Insert into new file" button above the code (or a similar option like "Apply" or "Copy"). Click it, and VS Code creates a new file. Save this file inside your test folder as rename.py.

Now open VS Code's built-in terminal from the top menu: Terminal → New Terminal. A text panel slides up from the bottom. Type python rename.py and press Enter.

The terminal is a text-based way to talk to your computer directly — instead of clicking icons, you type commands and read text replies.

If it looks different: If python isn't recognized, try python3 rename.py instead — that's more common on macOS and Linux. On Windows, you may need to install Python from python.org and tick "Add Python to PATH" during setup for the command to work.

You'll know it worked when the terminal shows your photos being renamed one by one, and the file list in the Explorer updates.

Verify, then run the same script on your real folder

Open the test folder in your regular file viewer (Finder, Explorer, or Files) and check the new names. Open a few photos to make sure none are broken — the picture files themselves shouldn't change, only their names.

If the names look right, you have two safe options: copy your rename.py script into your real photo folder and run it there, or ask Copilot to adjust the script so it points to a different folder. Either way, your originals stay untouched.

If it looks different: If a photo won't open, the file may have been partially affected — restore it from your test copy or your originals. If the names look wrong, go back to Step 4 and ask Copilot to fix the rule, then re-test on the test folder before touching real files.

You'll know it worked when your real photo folder shows the clean new names, and every photo still opens normally.