Speedup Hazel

I am using Hazel to rename files I am downloading and I notice there is quite a lag time before the rules are initiated. Is there a way to have the rules instantly rename the files?

The only reason this is a problem is because some of the smaller files are downloaded first and that gets the sequence out of order..

Thanks for any help you can offer.

I can't think of a specific reason that downloaded files would take sweet time to rename once they are complete. Have you checked the logs for errors? Are you leaving the files in your downloads directory?

I have found generally (keep in mind, this is anecdotal evidence only) that moving files out of a directory tends to speed rules up. I believe that this is because Hazel does not want to continually match a file (prevent looping) so if you're only renaming it and leaving it in the download directory, you're going to be a bit delayed.

My workflow moves everything out of the downloads folder to the desktop, where files are renamed and then sorted. Both the desktop and downloads folder are always empty. This works great for me.

Mr_Noodle might be able to comment on why renaming is seemingly taking more time for you.

How much of a delay are you talking here? Seconds? Minutes?

As mentioned, you should check the logs to see if there's anything there that might point to the problem. Also, are you monitoring a folder on a network share? If so, keep in mind that network filesystems do not generate file events so Hazel has to poll that folder every few minutes. Depending on where in the cycle you are, you may not see things happening for a bit.