---
title: File Renaming Settings Reference
description: "Every Rename Media Files setting for WordPress, tab by tab: General, Rules, Advanced and Compatibility (Pro)."
url: "https://wpfactory.com/docs/file-renaming-settings-reference/"
updated: "2026-09-27"
category: References
---

# File Renaming Settings Reference

This reference lists every setting in [Rename Media Files: Improve Your WordPress SEO](https://wpfactory.com/item/file-renaming-on-upload-wordpress-plugin/), organized by the tab it appears on. Go to **WPFactory > File Renaming** in your WordPress admin. The settings page is titled **File Renaming on Upload** and is split into tabs. Options marked Pro require the Pro version of Rename Media Files.

### General Settings tab

| Label | Option ID | Type | Default | Free/Pro |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Enable plugin | `enable_plugin` | Checkbox | On | Free |
| Gutenberg title fix | `gb_title_fix` | Checkbox | Off | Free |
| Update permalink | `update_permalink` | Checkbox | Off | Free |
| Filename structure | `filename_structure` | Text | `{siteurl}{posttitle}{filename}` | Free |
| Character(s) used to separate rules | `filename_structure_chars_between` | Text | `-` | Free |
| Max length | `filename_structure_max_length` | Number | `200` | Free |
| Change filename manually | `change_fn_manual` | Checkbox | On | Pro |
| Change permalink manually | `change_permalink_manual` | Checkbox | On | Pro |
| Update media reference | `update_media_reference` | Checkbox | On | Pro |
| Update permalink reference | `update_permalink_reference` | Checkbox | Off | Pro |
| Update permalink on filename update | `update_permalink_on_filename_update` | Checkbox | Off | Pro |
| Update media on post update | `update_media_on_post_update` | Checkbox | Off | Pro |
| Alt attribute (method) | `change_image_alt_method` | Radio | `default_mechanism` | Pro |
| Update alt on filename update | `update_on_filename_update` | Checkbox | Off | Pro |
| Update alt on new attachment upload | `update_on_new_attachment` | Checkbox | On | Pro |
| Replace separator by whitespace (alt) | `alt_separator_whitespaces` | Checkbox | Off | Pro |
| Media title (method) | `change_media_title_method` | Radio | `default_mechanism` | Pro |
| Update title on filename update | `update_media_title_on_filename_update` | Checkbox | Off | Pro |
| Update title on new attachment upload | `update_media_title_on_new_attachment` | Checkbox | On | Pro |
| Replace separator by whitespace (title) | `title_separator_whitespaces` | Checkbox | Off | Pro |
| Get natural string | `get_natural_string` | Checkbox | Off | Pro |
| Custom field rule | `custom_field_rule` | Checkbox | On | Pro |
| Taxonomy rule | `taxonomy_rule` | Checkbox | On | Pro |
| Jpeg To JPG | `jpeg_to_jpg` | Checkbox | Off | Pro |
| Schedule Filename Update | `schedule_filename_update` | Number (hours) | Blank | Pro |
| Filter by last X hours | `filter_by_last_x_hours` | Number | Blank | Pro |
| Allowed user roles | `restrict_user_role` | Multiselect | Blank (all) | Pro |
| Allowed post types | `restrict_post_type` | Multiselect | Blank (all) | Pro |

### Rules tab

Each rule is a checkbox that enables a `{token}` you can place in the Filename structure field. See the filename structure placeholders reference for what each token inserts.

| Label | Option ID | Type | Default | Free/Pro |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Filename | `filename` | Checkbox | On | Free |
| Site URL | `siteurl` | Checkbox | On | Free |
| Post title | `posttitle` | Checkbox | On | Free |
| Use filename on empty title | `use_filename_on_empty_title` | Checkbox | On | Free |
| Datetime | `datetime` | Checkbox | Off | Free |
| Upload date | `uploaddate` | Checkbox | Off | Pro |
| Custom string | `custom_string` | Checkbox | Off | Pro |
| Post Slug | `postslug` | Checkbox | Off | Pro |
| Post ID | `postid` | Checkbox | Off | Pro |
| User ID | `userid` | Checkbox | Off | Pro |
| User Role | `userrole` | Checkbox | Off | Pro |
| Username | `username` | Checkbox | Off | Pro |
| Product SKU | `wc_prod_sku` | Checkbox | Off | Pro |

### Advanced tab

| Label | Option ID | Type | Default | Free/Pro |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ignore files with no extension | `ignore_empty_extensions` | Checkbox | On | Free |
| Ignore file extensions | `ignore_extensions` | Checkbox | On | Free |
| Extensions to ignore | `extensions_ignored` | Text (comma separated, no dots) | `tmp,log` | Free |
| Ignore filenames | `ignore_filenames` | Checkbox | On | Free |
| Filenames to ignore | `filenames_ignored` | Text (list) | Preset list (robots, sitemap, and more) | Free |
| Ignores filename only when extension cannot be found | `ignore_without_extension` | Checkbox | On | Free |
| Ignore filenames by Tag | `ignore_filenames_by_tag` | Checkbox | On | Pro |
| Tags to ignore | `tags_ignored` | Text (list) | Blank | Pro |

With **Ignore filenames**, the listed names normally match all files. The **Ignores filename only when extension cannot be found** sub-option restricts matching to extensionless files. When it is off, listed names are ignored whether or not they have an extension.

### Compatibility tab (Pro)

This tab is added by the Pro version. All three options are off by default.

| Label | Option ID | Type | Default | Free/Pro |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Buddyboss | `buddyboss` | Checkbox | Off | Pro |
| Gravity forms | `gravityforms` | Checkbox | Off | Pro |
| WPForms | `wpforms` | Checkbox | Off | Pro |

### Background Process tab (Pro)

This tab is added by the Pro version and controls the background queue used for bulk and scheduled renaming.

| Label | Option ID | Type | Default | Free/Pro |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Queue Progress | `queue_progress` | Progress bar | On | Pro |
| Clear queue | `clear_queue` | Checkbox | Off | Pro |

### Need a hand?

Our team answers every ticket on the [Rename Media Files support forum](https://wpfactory.com/support/item/file-renaming-on-upload-wordpress-plugin/).

Related articles

- [File Renaming Hooks and Filters Reference](https://wpfactory.com/docs/file-renaming-hooks-and-filters/)
- [How to Restrict File Renaming by User Role or Post Type](https://wpfactory.com/docs/restrict-file-renaming-by-user-role-or-post-type/)
- [How to Create a Custom File Renaming Rule](https://wpfactory.com/docs/create-custom-file-renaming-rule/)
- [File Renaming on Upload Pro: Troubleshooting Tips](https://wpfactory.com/docs/pro-troubleshooting-tips/)
- [Advanced File Renaming: Managing Exceptions in Pro](https://wpfactory.com/docs/advance/)