Skip to main content

General Regex Templates Guide

The built-in Regex Templates in PDF Manager’s Search & Replace tool let you apply powerful renaming patterns instantly — no need to memorize syntax.

You can use templates:

  • Standalone — apply one rule to quickly reformat files.
  • In sequence — stack multiple templates for complex restructuring.

🛠 How to use a template​

  1. Open Search & Replace.
  2. Click Show Templates.
  3. Select a template from the dropdown.
  4. The search and replace fields will be pre-filled.
  5. Review the preview table for changes.

📂 Available Templates​

📆 Date Conversion 1 — 6-digit dates
Search
(\d{2})(\d{2})(\d{2})
Replace
$2$120$3
$1$2$3match
Before
Dinosaurs are cool Ep No. 010225
After
Dinosaurs are cool Ep No. 02012025

When to use: Dates in ddmmyy or mmddyy format where you need to swap day/month and expand the year.

📆 Date Conversion 2 — 8-digit dates
Search
(\d{2})(\d{2})(\d{4})
Replace
$2$1$3
$1$2$3match
Before
Words are weird Ep No. 01142025
After
Words are weird Ep No. 14012025
Works only with exactly 8 digits; keeps the full 4-digit year.

When to use: Dates in ddmmyyyy or mmddyyyy format where you need to swap day/month.

🆔 Add "Ep No."
Search
(\d+)$
Replace
Ep No. $1
$1match
Before
Oops, I Did It Again 1001
After
Oops, I Did It Again Ep No. 1001
Matches on the final numeric sequence in the filename; useful for files that already have partial episode numbers in the filename.
🔀 Reorder Tokens
Search
^(.+)\s\-\s(.+)\s\-\s(.+)$
Replace
$1 $3 Ep No. $2
$1$2$3match
Before
THIS SHOW - 101 - Exists Probably
After
THIS SHOW   Exists Probably  Ep No. 101
Inserts three spaces before episode title and two spaces before "Ep No." (to match cue-sheet delimiter rules); useful for files exported from Soundmouse.

When to use: Files follow a Prod - EpisodeNum - EpisodeTitle format and need to be rearranged for cue-sheet conventions.

0️⃣ Zero Pad Episode Suffix
Search
(\d{2}$)
Replace
0$1
$1match
Before
What is a number 101
After
What is a number 1001
Works only when the last two characters in the filename are numbers; change the pad value or count by changing "0" in the replace bar.

When to use: Episode numbers have only three digits and must be padded to four.

🔗 Stacking templates for more power​

You can chain templates together to transform filenames in a single pass.
The order matters — earlier rules affect later ones.

Example stack:

  1. Reorder Tokens
  2. Zero Pad Episode Suffix
  3. Cue Sheet T1
Before: mary had a little lamb - 101 - and no one talks about it
After:  MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB   And No One Talks. . .  Ep No. 1001

💡 Pro tips​

  • Test on a small batch before running on 100+ files.
  • Use regex groups like $1, $2, $3 to rearrange text without losing parts.
  • Regex is case-sensitive unless you check the “Ignore Case” option.
  • Use the shortcut keys!

If you need a new preset template, reach out via the TūlBOX support links!