---
title: "Rename Media Files on Upload: General Settings"
description: "General settings for renaming WordPress media on upload: activation, Gutenberg integration, permalink updates and structure."
url: "https://wpfactory.com/docs/general-settings/"
updated: "2026-09-26"
category: Pro Features
tags:
  - File Renaming on Upload
---

# Rename Media Files on Upload: General Settings

## General Settings

The General Settings tab is where you control the core behavior of [Rename Media Files: Improve Your WordPress SEO](https://wpfactory.com/item/file-renaming-on-upload-wordpress-plugin/). This tab is available in both the free and Pro versions, and Pro adds several extra options for optimizing your media library and improving your site's SEO. To open it, go to **WPFactory > File Renaming** in your WordPress admin. The settings page is titled **File Renaming on Upload** and is split into tabs.

![Rename Media Files General Settings tab](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/File-rename-on-upload-general-1.jpg)

### Activation and Gutenberg integration

- Activate the plugin with the **Enable plugin** option to start renaming uploads automatically.
- The **Gutenberg title fix** option sets an attachment's post title from the original filename when it is uploaded from the block editor, keeping titles consistent.

### Permalink updates

- New uploads automatically receive a permalink based on your chosen filename structure.
- Existing attachment permalinks adjust automatically whenever a filename is updated.
- With Pro, you can manually edit a permalink directly from the media edit screen for fine control.

### Filename structure

Build custom filename patterns using placeholders in the **Filename structure** field:

- `{filename}`: retains the original filename.
- `{siteurl}`: inserts your website URL.
- `{posttitle}`: inserts the associated post title.
- `{userid}`, `{username}`, `{postid}`: use the uploading user and post information.

You can also set the character used to separate rules and define a maximum filename length.

### Media management (Pro)

- Manually edit filenames directly from the media edit screen for precise control.
- Update references to renamed media inside your post content so links stay correct.
- Schedule automatic filename updates to run periodically and keep the library tidy.

### SEO automation (Pro)

- Alt attributes can be left untouched or generated automatically from the original filename or your filename structure.
- Media titles can be generated automatically using your preferred structure.

### Advanced rules (Pro)

- Use custom field rules, `{cf:fieldname}`, to rename files from a specific custom field value on the uploaded post.
- Use taxonomy rules, `{tax:taxonomy-slug}`, to include a post's terms from a chosen taxonomy in the filename.
- Convert JPEG extensions to JPG for consistent naming.

### User role and post type control (Pro)

- Choose which user roles are allowed to trigger renaming.
- Select the specific post types where file renaming should apply.

### Ready to set this up?

This is a Pro feature of [Rename Media Files](https://wpfactory.com/item/file-renaming-on-upload-wordpress-plugin/). If you are still on the free version, upgrading unlocks this along with the rest of the Pro toolkit. [Get Rename Media Files Pro](https://wpfactory.com/item/file-renaming-on-upload-wordpress-plugin/).

Related articles

- [Rename Media Files on Upload: Free vs Pro Versions Compared](https://wpfactory.com/docs/pro-vs-free-rename/)
- [How to Rename Media Files on Upload in WordPress](https://wpfactory.com/docs/intro-how-to-use-rename-media-files-on-upload-plugin/)
- [Rename Media Files on Upload: Advanced Troubleshooting](https://wpfactory.com/docs/troubleshooting-rename/)
- [Rename Media Files on Upload: Specific Issues](https://wpfactory.com/docs/specific-issues-rename/)
- [How to Bulk Rename Existing Media Files](https://wpfactory.com/docs/bulk-rename-existing-media-files/)

 

[![Rename Media Files on Upload for WordPress](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/File-Renaming-on-Upload.webp)](https://wpfactory.com/item/file-renaming-on-upload-wordpress-plugin/)