Kempt
In short
Finder can rename many files at once, but only with patterns, not by what each PDF says. To name a PDF from its content you need something that reads it. Kempt reads each PDF, scan and photo of paper on your Mac (OCR and Apple’s on-device model) and proposes a name like “2026-10 Electricity bill EDF.pdf”, in 1 to 1.4 seconds a file.
Without any app
Open and read
Press Space for Quick Look and note the date, the sender and what the document is.
Use one naming pattern
Date first, then what, then who: “2026-10 Pay stub Acme.pdf”. Dates first keep files in order in every folder.
Batch the easy part
Select several files, Control-click, choose Rename, and use Add Text or Format to add a date or counter.
Scans without text
Open the scan in Preview: Live Text lets you select and copy the text you need for the name.
With Kempt
Facts decide, the model names
Kempt first reads dates, amounts and senders from the page, then Apple’s on-device model writes the name. Names stay consistent across thousands of files.
Any kind of paper
Text PDFs, scans and photos of paper are read with on-device OCR and Vision.
No quota, no upload
Naming runs on your Mac with Apple Intelligence: no API key, no monthly rename limit, nothing sent anywhere.
Questions people ask
Can Finder rename PDFs by content?
No. Finder’s Rename works with text patterns and counters. It doesn’t read the document.
Can Apple Intelligence rename files?
Yes, if you build a Shortcut that sends the file’s text to a model action. Kempt uses the same on-device model, with checks and undo built in.
Does it work for scanned PDFs?
Yes. Kempt reads scans and photos of paper with on-device OCR before naming them.