Renaming files during import involves modifying filenames automatically as you copy files to avoid duplicate names in the target location. Unlike a basic import which might overwrite existing files with identical names, renaming appends characters (like numbers or timestamps) to create unique filenames, preserving both the original and the imported file. This prevents accidental data loss and maintains organization by stopping conflicting filenames from occupying the same folder.

For instance, when importing batches of photos like vacation pictures from multiple cameras into a central library, the import tool can add the capture date (e.g., IMG_001_20230815.jpg) if a plain IMG_001.jpg already exists there. Similarly, automated data pipelines fetching reports might append timestamps (e.g., sales_report_081523.csv) to differentiate daily imports into the same destination folder. Photo management software and cloud storage migration tools commonly offer this feature.

This strategy's main benefit is reliably preventing overwrites and data loss without manual intervention. However, overly complex renaming rules might make filenames harder to interpret or break internal references within files. Batch renaming tools increasingly offer intelligent options, like checking content hashes, to potentially recognize identical files and skip duplicates entirely rather than just avoiding name clashes.