Filename Sanitizer

Filename Sanitizer | Online Free Tool | Elysia Tools

Tool usage guide

Learn when to use this tool, what it supports, and how real users apply it.

Key facts

Category: Text Processing
Input types: text, checkbox, number
Output type: text
Sample coverage: 4
API ready: Yes

Overview

The Filename Sanitizer is a utility tool that cleans and sanitizes filenames by removing illegal characters for Windows, Linux, and Mac, ensuring compatibility and preventing file system errors across different operating systems.

When to use

When you have filenames with special characters that are not allowed on certain operating systems, such as Windows or Linux.
When preparing files for cross-platform sharing or deployment to avoid compatibility issues.
When batch processing filenames to ensure they meet system requirements and prevent errors during file operations.

How it works

1Input the filename you want to sanitize into the tool's text field.
2Optionally specify a replacement character for illegal characters, with underscore as the default.
3Choose to trim leading/trailing whitespace and dots, and set a maximum filename length if needed.
4The tool processes the input and outputs a sanitized filename with illegal characters replaced or removed.

Use cases

Sanitizing filenames uploaded by users on a web application to ensure they are stored safely on the server.
Preparing filenames for use in automated scripts that run on multiple operating systems like Windows and Linux.
Cleaning up filenames in a directory to avoid errors when moving or copying files across different systems.

Examples

1. Cleaning User-Uploaded Filenames

Web Developer

Background

A web application allows users to upload files, but some filenames contain illegal characters that cause issues on the server's file system.

Problem

Filenames with characters like : or * are not allowed on the server, leading to upload failures.

How to use

Enter the problematic filename into the Filename Sanitizer, use default settings with underscore as the replacement character.

Outcome

The filename is cleaned, with illegal characters replaced by underscores, making it safe for storage and retrieval.

2. Preparing Files for Cross-Platform Deployment

Background

A software project needs to be deployed on both Windows and Linux servers, but filenames have OS-specific illegal characters.

Problem

Files with backslashes or colons in names fail on Linux systems, causing deployment errors.

How to use

Use the tool to sanitize all filenames, setting a common replacement character and enabling trim options.

Set replacementChar to '-', trimWhitespace to true, trimDots to true, maxLength to 255.

FAQ

What illegal characters does this tool remove?

It removes characters like < > : " / \ | ? * and control characters for Windows, and / and null characters for Linux/Mac.

Can I customize the replacement character?

Yes, you can specify any character to replace illegal ones, with underscore as the default.

Does it handle whitespace trimming?

Yes, you can enable trimming of leading and trailing whitespace, which is on by default.

What is the maximum filename length supported?

The default maximum is 255 characters, but you can set it from 0 (no limit) to 260.

Is this tool free to use?

Yes, the Filename Sanitizer is a free online tool for cleaning filenames.

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Inputs

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Learn when to use this tool, what it supports, and how real users apply it.

Key facts

Overview

When to use

How it works

Use cases

Examples

1. Cleaning User-Uploaded Filenames

2. Preparing Files for Cross-Platform Deployment

FAQ

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