Bulk device alias rename: use EAST tool or Device API scripting

Android

If you need to rename device aliases in bulk across your Esper account—for example, adding a leading zero prefix to all device names—the Esper Console does not offer a native bulk-edit feature. This article shows you two ways to accomplish large-scale device alias updates: using the EAST tool or scripting with the Esper Device API.

Before you begin

Bulk device alias rename requires one of two approaches:

EAST tool — recommended if you prefer a guided, no-code workflow
Esper Device API with custom script — recommended if you are comfortable with programming or need complex transformations

Before you start, export your current device list as a backup. You can do this by downloading the device list from Devices & Groups or by querying the API. This lets you revert if needed.

Option A: Bulk rename using the EAST tool

The EAST (Esper Android Scripting Tool) provides a guided bulk-rename workflow. Use this method if you prefer a ready-made tool.

Go to the Renaming Devices — EAST documentation in the Help Center.
Follow the setup instructions to authenticate EAST with your enterprise account.
Define your transformation rule in EAST. For example, to prepend a 0 to each alias, specify the rule so that 0027 Pilot becomes 00027 Pilot.
Execute the rename job and review the confirmation output for success and failure counts.
Verify the changes in the Esper Console. Go to Devices & Groups, select 3–5 devices, and confirm their aliases now show the additional leading zero.

Option B: Bulk rename using the Esper Device API

Use this method if you are comfortable writing a script (Python is recommended) or need to apply complex transformation logic.

Authenticate against the Esper API. Obtain a valid bearer token for your enterprise account. You can generate or manage API keys in Settings & Configuration → API Management in the Esper Console.
Retrieve all devices. Call the endpoint:
```
GET /v0/enterprises/{enterprise_id}/devices/?limit=100
```
Paginate by incrementing the offset parameter. Capture the id and name (alias) fields for each device.
Write a script to transform and update aliases. Your script should:
- Iterate over each device record
- Apply the transformation (for example, prepend 0 to the current alias)
- Call the PATCH endpoint for each device:
```
PATCH /v0/enterprises/{enterprise_id}/devices/{device_id}/
```
  with the request body:
```
{"name": "<new_alias>"}
```
Log all responses. Record the HTTP status for each device. Treat any non-200 response as a failure and retain the original alias for manual review.
Verify the update. Query a sample of updated device IDs using GET and confirm the name field reflects your new alias.
Final check in the Esper Console. Go to Devices & Groups and spot-check several devices to confirm the renamed aliases appear correctly. Use the search or filter feature to validate devices with your new prefix pattern.

Troubleshooting

EAST authentication errors: Verify that your API key and endpoint URL are scoped to the correct enterprise account.

API returns 403 Forbidden: Ensure your API key has Device Edit permissions. Check this in the Esper Console under Settings & Configuration → API Management.

Only some devices updated: Query the device list again to find devices whose aliases do not yet match the new pattern, then re-run your script against that filtered set.

Multiple enterprise accounts: If your organization manages more than one enterprise account (tenant), you must repeat the process for each enterprise ID. There is no cross-tenant bulk operation.

API returns 500 errors or changes do not persist: Contact Esper Support.

Important notes

Device alias is metadata only. Changing an alias does not affect device behavior, Blueprint assignment, group membership, or enrolled configuration.
The alias rename applies to devices in any group, including ungrouped devices.
If your naming transformation is complex (regex substitution, conditional logic), the API scripting approach is more flexible than EAST.
There is no native undo or rollback in the Esper Console. Always back up your current device list before running a bulk rename.

Still need help?

If you run into issues or have questions about bulk device rename, submit a support ticket. Include details about your transformation rule, the number of devices, and any error messages you encountered.