Retroactively reorder the components of Denote file names

While experimenting with the denote-file-name-components-order to change the way Denote formats file names, you may end up with files that look inconsistent. They still work the same way as before, but you prefer to enforce the same order across your Denote files. The following custom command does just that. It technically “renames” the files it is applied to, though only insofar as reordering their Denote file name components, but not changing the contents of those components.

(defun my-denote-rename-all-to-reorder-components ()
  "Call `denote-dired-rename-files' without any prompts.
In other words, preserve the value of each Denote file name component.

Use this command if you want to modify the user option
`denote-file-name-components-order' and then want your files to
retroactively follow that order."
  (interactive)
  (let ((denote-prompts nil))
    (call-interactively 'denote-dired-rename-files)))

Simply go to a Dired buffer, mark the files you wish to operate on, and call the command. You may also use the denote-dired command to produce a filtered+sorted flat listing of your Denote files, mark them, and then invoke my-denote-rename-all-to-reorder-components (Display filtered and sorted files with denote-sort-dired or denote-dired).

Video demonstration: https://protesilaos.com/codelog/2025-07-09-emacs-denote-reorder-components/.

DEVELOPMENT NOTE: If you have a more specific use-case, then we can discuss it and expand the documentation we provide herein.