Color Label logic is broken when manually renaming a file
Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 10:37 amHi,
For many many years I have built and used a system to rename and process (mostly move - or not move - a file to different folders) files based on Color Labels. This system is now broken.
For example:
- if Color label is not Yellow, Red, or Green, rename file and Set color label Yellow.
- if Color label is Yellow or Red don't Move it. If Color label is Green move it.
Due to vacation I can not say exacly when, but recently this logic breaks when I manually rename a file Hazel has already processed. I have some edge cases where Hazel's logic becomes too complex to automatically rename the file correct, so I manually ajust the name after Hazel has processed it. But this does not work now, because as soon as I ajust the name of the file the Color labels are removed (by macOS/Finder I guess) and Hazel sees a new file and jumps in and changes the name "back" and adds the intial Color labels.
I use Color labels for several actions after the initial Rename action rule, not just to flag that the file has been renamed.
It there a way to keep my Color label logic so I don't need to rework my entire Hazel workflow?
Hazel: 6.1.1
macOS: 26.2 (25C56)
For many many years I have built and used a system to rename and process (mostly move - or not move - a file to different folders) files based on Color Labels. This system is now broken.
For example:
- if Color label is not Yellow, Red, or Green, rename file and Set color label Yellow.
- if Color label is Yellow or Red don't Move it. If Color label is Green move it.
Due to vacation I can not say exacly when, but recently this logic breaks when I manually rename a file Hazel has already processed. I have some edge cases where Hazel's logic becomes too complex to automatically rename the file correct, so I manually ajust the name after Hazel has processed it. But this does not work now, because as soon as I ajust the name of the file the Color labels are removed (by macOS/Finder I guess) and Hazel sees a new file and jumps in and changes the name "back" and adds the intial Color labels.
I use Color labels for several actions after the initial Rename action rule, not just to flag that the file has been renamed.
It there a way to keep my Color label logic so I don't need to rework my entire Hazel workflow?
Hazel: 6.1.1
macOS: 26.2 (25C56)