Batch renaming and relinking in InDesign CS4

Question

Is there a plug-in available for InDesign that will batch rename and relink placed images?
In Quark, I used Badia Link Renamer which worked perfectly but it's not available for InDesign. (Was told they hope to have it incorporated into BigPicture for CS5.)
Is there something similar currently available for InDesign?
Essentially I need it to rename and relink files with random names to structured names such as:
001_Cust_000123456789_art_r1.tif
(I love that Bridge does batch renaming but then I have to manually update links in InDesign which is extremely time-consuming. I've also manually renamed/relinked files individually with Adobe Dialogue but it doesn't seem to be part of CS4.)
Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Been looking for something for months.
Thanks!

Answer 1

Here is my last version of the script, it deals with multiple instances of the same file.
Kasyan
var myDoc = app.activeDocument;
var myAllLinks = myDoc.allGraphics;
var myMultipleLinks = new Array();
var myLinksCounter = 1;
var myPrepend = prompt("Example: thebook_08765", "Job description", "Please enter job description");
if (!myPrepend) exit();
var response = confirm("Warning: You are about to rename all images linked to the foremost Indesign Document - proceed? Keep in mind - it is not reversible!", false, "Rename Links Script");
if ( response == true )
     WriteToFile("\r--------------------- Script started -- " + GetDate() + " ---------------------\n\n");
     for ( k = 0; k < myAllLinks.length; k++ )
          var myLinkName = myAllLinks[k].itemLink.name;
     crearLabels();
     var myPages = myDoc.pages;
     // Pages
     for ( p = 0; p < myPages.length; p++ )
          var myPageNumber = pad000(myPages[p].name);
          var myLinks = myPages[p].allGraphics;
          var myASCII = 97;
          for ( k = myLinks.length - 1; k >= 0; k-- )
               var myLink = myLinks[k].itemLink;
               if (myLink.extractLabel("relinked") != "yes") {
                    var myOldLinkName = myLink.name;
                    var myLinkUsage = LinkUsage( myLink );
                    var myExtension = myOldLinkName.substr(myOldLinkName.lastIndexOf( "." ));
                    if (LinkUsage(myLink) == 1)
                         var myNewLinkName = myPrepend + myPageNumber + String.fromCharCode( myASCII ) + myExtension;
                         var myOldImageHDfile = new File( myLink.filePath );
                         var myRenameResult = myOldImageHDfile.rename( myNewLinkName );
                         if (myRenameResult)     {
                              myLink.insertLabel("relinked", "yes");
                              myLink.relink( myOldImageHDfile );
                              try {
                                   myLink = myLink.update();
                              catch(err) {}
                              myASCII++;
                              WriteToFile(((myLinksCounter < 10) ? (" " + myLinksCounter) : myLinksCounter) + " - " + myOldImageHDfile.name + " --> " + myNewLinkName + "\n");
                              myLinksCounter++;
                         else {
                              if (new File(myOldImageHDfile.parent + "/" + myNewLinkName + myExtension).exists) {
                                   WriteToFile("CAN'T RENAME LINK -- " + myOldImageHDfile.name + " to " + myNewLinkName + " because the file already exists\n");
                              else {
                                   WriteToFile("CAN'T RENAME LINK -- " + myOldImageHDfile.name + "\n");
                    else {
                         if (!IsObjInArray(myLink, myMultipleLinks)) {
                              myMultipleLinks.push(myLink);
     var myMasterSpreads = myDoc.masterSpreads;
     // Master spreads
     for ( m = 0; m < myMasterSpreads.length; m++ )
          var myMastSpr = myMasterSpreads[m];
          var myPageNumber = myMastSpr.name;
          var myPrefix = myMastSpr.namePrefix;
          var myLinks = myMastSpr.allGraphics;
          var myASCII = 97;
          for ( n = myLinks.length - 1; n >= 0; n-- )
               var myLink = myLinks[n].itemLink;
               if (myLink.extractLabel("relinked") != "yes") {
                    var myOldLinkName = myLink.name;
                    var myExtension = myOldLinkName.substr(myOldLinkName.lastIndexOf( "." ));
                    if (LinkUsage(myLink) == 1)
                         var myLinkLetter = (myLinks.length == 1) ? "" : String.fromCharCode( myASCII );
                         var myNewLinkName = myPrepend + '_master_' + myPrefix + myLinkLetter + myExtension;
                         var myOldImageHDfile = new File( myLink.filePath );
                         var myRenameResult = myOldImageHDfile.rename( myNewLinkName );
                         if (myRenameResult) {
                              myLink.insertLabel("relinked", "yes");
                              myLink.relink( myOldImageHDfile );
                              try {
                                   myLink.update();
                              catch(err) {}
                              myASCII++;
                              WriteToFile(((myLinksCounter < 10) ? (" " + myLinksCounter) : myLinksCounter) + " - " + myOldImageHDfile.name + " --> " + myNewLinkName + "\n");
                              myLinksCounter++;
                         else     {
                              if (new File(myOldImageHDfile.parent + "/" + myNewLinkName + myExtension).exists) {
                                   WriteToFile("CAN'T RENAME LINK -- " + myOldImageHDfile.name + " to " + myNewLinkName + " because the file already exists\n");
                              else {
                                   WriteToFile("CAN'T RENAME LINK -- " + myOldImageHDfile.name + "\n");
                    else
                         if (!IsObjInArray(myLink, myMultipleLinks)) {
                              myMultipleLinks.push(myLink);
     // Multiple images
     if (myMultipleLinks.length > 0) {
          for ( a = myMultipleLinks.length - 1; a >= 0; a-- )
               processMultiUsedLinks(myMultipleLinks[a]);
     WriteToFile("\r--------------------- Script finished -- " + GetDate() + " ---------------------\r\r");
     if (myLinksCounter == 0) {
          alert("No links have been renamed", "Rename Links Script");
     if (myLinksCounter == 1) {
          alert("One link has been renamed", "Rename Links Script");
     else if (myLinksCounter > 1) {
          alert(myLinksCounter  + " links have been renamed", "Rename Links Script");
//--------------------------------------------- Functions ------------------------------------------------
// Check how many times the link was placed
function LinkUsage(myLink) {
     var myLinksNumber = 0;
          for (var c =  0; c < myDoc.links.length; c++) {
          if (myLink.filePath == myDoc.links[c].filePath) {
               myLinksNumber += 1;
     return myLinksNumber;
// Relink the links placed more than once
function processMultiUsedLinks(myLink) {
     var myExtension = myLink.name.substr(myLink.name.lastIndexOf( "." ));
     var myMultiUsedLink = new Array();
     var myAllLinks = myDoc.links;
     for (var d = 0; d < myAllLinks.length; d++)  {
          if (myAllLinks[d].filePath == myLink.filePath) {
               myMultiUsedLink.push(myAllLinks[d]);
     try {
          myLink.show();
     catch(err) {}
     var myNewLinkName = prompt ("Enter a name for this image", GetFileNameOnly(myLink.name), "This image is placed " + myMultiUsedLink .length + " times");
     if (myNewLinkName) {
          if ( myNewLinkName + myExtension != myLink.name ) {
               var myOldImageHDfile = new File( myLink.filePath );
               var myRenameResult = myOldImageHDfile.rename( myNewLinkName + myExtension );
               if (myRenameResult) {
                    myLink.insertLabel("relinked", "yes");
                    myLink.relink( myOldImageHDfile );
                    try {
                         myLink = myLink.update();
                    catch(err) {}
                    WriteToFile(((myLinksCounter < 10) ? (" " + myLinksCounter) : myLinksCounter) + " - " + myOldImageHDfile.name + " --> " + myNewLinkName + "\n");
                    myLinksCounter++;
                    for (f = myMultiUsedLink.length-1; f >= 0 ; f--)
                         var myCurrLink = myMultiUsedLink[f];
                         if ( myNewLinkName + myExtension != myCurrLink.name ) {
                              myCurrLink.insertLabel("relinked", "yes");
                              myCurrLink.relink( myOldImageHDfile );
                              try {
                                   myCurrLink = myLink.update();
                              catch(err) {}
               else     {
                    if (new File(myOldImageHDfile.parent + "/" + myNewLinkName + myExtension).exists) {
                         WriteToFile("CAN'T RENAME LINK -- " + myOldImageHDfile.name + " to " + myNewLinkName + myExtension + " because the file already exists\n");
                    else {
                         WriteToFile("CAN'T RENAME LINK -- " + myOldImageHDfile.name + "\n");
     UpdateAllOutdatedLinks();
// Clear labels in case this script has been already run on the current document
function crearLabels() {
     for (var f =  0; f < myDoc.links.length; f++) {
          if (myDoc.links[f].extractLabel("relinked") != "") {
               myDoc.links[f].insertLabel("relinked", "");
function UpdateAllOutdatedLinks() {
     for(var myCounter = myDoc.links.length-1; myCounter >= 0; myCounter--){
          var myLink = myDoc.links[myCounter];
          if (myLink.status == LinkStatus.linkOutOfDate){
               myLink.update();
function pad000(myNumber) {
     if (myNumber >= 1 && myNumber <= 9) {
          x =  "0" + "0" + myNumber;
     } else if (myNumber >= 10 && myNumber <= 99) {
          x = "0" + myNumber;
     } else if (myNumber >= 100 && myNumber <= 999) {
          x = myNumber;
     return x;
function GetFileNameOnly(myFileName) {
     var myString = "";
     var myResult = myFileName.lastIndexOf(".");
     if (myResult == -1) {
          myString = myFileName;
     else {
          myString = myFileName.substr(0, myResult);
     return myString;
function IsObjInArray(myObj, myArray) {
     for (x in myArray) {
          if (myObj.filePath == myArray[x].filePath) {
               return true;
     return false;
function WriteToFile(myText) {
     myFile = new File("~/Desktop/Rename Links Script.txt");
     if ( myFile.exists ) {
          myFile.open("e");
          myFile.seek(0, 2);
     else {
          myFile.open("w");
     myFile.write(myText);
     myFile.close();
function GetDate() {
     var myDate = new Date();
     if ((myDate.getYear() - 100) < 10) {
          var myYear = "0" + new String((myDate.getYear() - 100));
     } else {
          var myYear = new String ((myDate.getYear() - 100));
     var myDateString = (myDate.getMonth() + 1) + "/" + myDate.getDate() + "/" + myYear + " " + myDate.getHours() + ":" + myDate.getMinutes() + ":" + myDate.getSeconds();
     return myDateString;