Automatically renaming downloaded files on Mac

Question

I've been trying to find a way to automatically rename my downloaded files on my Macbook Pro, but I somehow can't. I've tried using Automator and having a folder action that renames the files coming into the folder, but somehow it doesn't work at all, as if it was disabled.

Does anybody have any idea on how I could rename them automatically when they're downloaded, so that it's easier to keep them in order (mainly for myself), for archiving reasons.

The way I want to rename them is simply to add the creation date to it, just like this script should work.

Folder Script Automator

However, this does rename them, but it never stops, it keeps adding the date in eternity, and of course I'd only like it once in the beginning.

What it really does

Answer 1

Save this following AppleScript code in Script Editor.app as “Move And Rename.scpt” to your folder… /Users/YOUR SHORT NAME/Library/Workflows/Applications/Folder Actions/

To be able to rename the files using a folder action, the files to be renamed must be moved to a different folder otherwise it will create an infinite loop

The only thing you need to do is create a folder in your downloads folder and name it … Renamed Files. This is where the renamed files will be placed

on adding folder items to theFolder after receiving theNewItems
    tell application "Finder" to set theNewItems to files of folder theFolder

    repeat with i from 1 to count of theNewItems
        set theFile to item i of theNewItems
        set moveToFolder to (path to downloads folder as text) & "Renamed Files:"

        set AppleScript's text item delimiters to ","
        set theLongDate to (current date)
        set theLongDate to (date string of theLongDate)
        set currentMonth to (word 1 of text item 2 of theLongDate)
        set currentDay to (word 2 of text item 2 of theLongDate)
        set currentYear to (word 1 of text item 3 of theLongDate)
        set monthList to {January, February, March, April, May, June, ¬
            July, August, September, October, November, December}
        repeat with x from 1 to 12
            if currentMonth = ((item x of monthList) as string) then
                set theRequestNumber to (text -2 thru -1 of ("0" & x))
                exit repeat
            end if
        end repeat
        set currentMonth to theRequestNumber
        set currentDay to (text -2 thru -1 of ("0" & currentDay))
        set theShortDate to (currentYear & "-" & currentMonth & "-" & currentDay) as string

        set newName to theShortDate

        tell application "Finder"
            set theName to name of theFile
            move theFile to moveToFolder
            set theFile to moveToFolder & theName
            try
                set name of alias theFile to newName & " " & theName
            on error errMsg number errNum
                set name of alias theFile to newName & " 1 " & theName
            end try
        end tell
    end repeat
end adding folder items to

Once you have saved that file to that location, it will then be ready to attach to any folder you choose in Finder.app as a folder action