Renaming files and directories in Plesk File Manager is quick and straightforward. This guide walks you through the process.

## How to rename a file

1. Log in to **Plesk**.
2. Go to **Websites & Domains** and click **File Manager** for your domain.
3. Navigate to the folder containing the file you want to rename.
4. Hover over the file name to reveal additional options. Click the small **dropdown arrow** (or right-click menu icon) that appears next to the file.
5. Select **Rename**.
6. Type the new file name in the text field.
7. Click **OK**.

The file is renamed immediately.

## How to rename a directory

The process is identical to renaming a file:

1. In **File Manager**, find the directory you want to rename.
2. Hover over the directory name and click the **dropdown arrow**.
3. Select **Rename**.
4. Enter the new directory name.
5. Click **OK**.

## Important notes

- **File extensions matter.** If you rename `style.css` to `style.txt`, the file will no longer function as a CSS stylesheet. Always keep the correct extension.
- **Renaming `httpdocs` or system directories will break your website.** Only rename files and folders that you created or manage yourself.
- **Avoid spaces and special characters** in file names. Use hyphens (`-`) or underscores (`_`) instead. Spaces in file names can cause issues with URLs and scripts.
- **Case sensitivity:** Linux servers treat `File.html` and `file.html` as different files. Be consistent with your naming conventions.
- **Hidden files** (starting with a dot, like `.htaccess`) are shown in File Manager by default. Be careful not to accidentally rename these — they control important server behaviour.

## Troubleshooting

- **Rename option not appearing:** Make sure you’re hovering over the file/folder name, not clicking the checkbox. The dropdown icon appears on hover.
- **“Permission denied” error:** The file may be owned by a different system user or have restrictive permissions. Contact your hosting provider for assistance.
- **Website broken after renaming:** If you renamed a file that your website references (like a config file, image, or script), update the references in your code to match the new file name. Or rename it back to the original.
- **Links stopped working:** Renaming a directory changes its URL. If you had `yourdomain.com/old-folder/` and renamed it to `new-folder`, update any links pointing to the old URL.