File and folder naming conventions are key to maintaining well-organized electronic directory and drive structures. This tip sheet provides examples of naming conventions; each unit may determine its own file naming procedure as long as it is applied consistently. Benefits of consistent file and folder naming are:
- Files are easily distinguished one from another
- File names are easier to browse
- Retrieval is facilitated for all users (not just the file’s creator)
1. Keep file names short and relevant.
2. If using a date, use the format Year-Month-Day (four digit year, two digit month, two digit day): YYYY-MM-DD or YYYY-MM or YYYY-YYYY.
This will maintain chronological order.
This
2006-03-04 Agenda
2006-03-24 Attachment
2006-03-24 Minutes
2007-02-01 Agenda
2007-02-01 Minutes
Not This
1 Feb 2007 Agenda
24 March 2006 Agenda
24 March 2006 Minutes
February 1, 2007 Minutes
March 24, 2006 Attachment
3. Include a leading zero for numbers 0-9.
This will maintain the numeric order in the file directory.
This
Office Procedures v01
Office Procedures v02
Office Procedures v03
Not This
Office Procedures v1
Office Procedures v10
Office Procedures v2
4. Order the elements in a file name according to the way the file will be retrieved.
If records are retrieved according to their date, that element should appear first. If they are retrieved according to their description, that element should appear first.
Tip File names of records relating to recurring events (e.g., meeting minutes, regular periodic reports, budget planning documents) should include both the date and the event.
When deciding the order of the elements, date first will usually be appropriate for events that are time specific and recurring. Event first will usually be appropriate for events that are infrequent.
This
/…/Curriculum Committee
2007-01-20 Agenda
2007-01-20 Minutes
2007-02-01 Agenda
2007-02-01 Minutes
Not This
/…/Curriculum Committee
Agenda 1 Feb 2007
Agenda 20 Jan 2007
Minutes 1 Feb 2007
Minutes 20 Jan 2007
This
/…/Events
Awards Ceremony 2006-06-30
Donor Reception 2005-10-05
Japanese Delegation Visit 2007-02
Not This
/…/Events
2005-10-05 Donor Reception
2006-06-30 Awards Ceremony
2007-02 Japanese Delegation Visit
5. Avoid descriptive terms regarding format or version (e.g. draft, memo) at the start of file names.
This
/…/Publicity/
Advertising Draft
Advertising Final
Budget Report 2005-2006 Final
Budget Report 2006-2007 Draft
Grant, S.
Thomas, A.
Not This
/…/Publicity/
Draft Advertising
Draft Budget Report 2006-2007
Final Advertising
Final Budget Report 2005-2006
Memo A. Thomas
Memo S. Grant
Tip When using personal names, always give family name at the start of file name and use a standard format for first names.
6. The version number of a record should be indicated in its file name by the use of “v” followed by the version number.
This
Org Chart 2006 v02
Org Chart 2006 v03
Org Chart 2006 v04
Not This
Org Chart 2006
Org Chart 2006 rev
Org Chart 2006 rev2
Adapted from Standard Naming Conventions for Electronic Records produced by the University of Edinburgh Records Management Section and available at http://www.recordsmanagement.ed.ac.uk/InfoStaff/RMstaff/RMprojects/PP/FileNameRules/FileNameRules.htm.
This document has been developed to assist in establishing good practices and procedures. Additional questions or requests for advice on records and information management or information and privacy issues should be referred to the Information and Privacy Coordinator: info.privacy@yorku.ca.
FAQs
The file name should be descriptive and provide just enough contextual information. A good format for date designations is YYYYMMDD. This format makes sure all of your files stay in chronological order. To add a timestamp to your filename, use the format YYYYMMDDThhmm.
How should we name files and folders? ›
Avoid using periods, spaces or slashes to separate characters in a file name. Use hyphens or underscores or capitalise using CamelCase instead. Order the elements in a file name in the most appropriate way to retrieve the record.
What is a guideline for properly naming files and folders? ›
Add the year in front of the file name if it's important to sort by year. Don't make file names too long; longer names do not work well with all types of software. For sequential numbering, use leading zeros to ensure files sort properly. “001, 002” instead of “1, 2, etc.”
How do I name electronic files? ›
- Keep file names short and relevant.
- If using a date, use the format Year-Month-Day (four digit year, two digit month, two digit day): YYYY-MM-DD or YYYY-MM or YYYY-YYYY.
- Include a leading zero for numbers 0-9.
- Order the elements in a file name according to the way the file will be retrieved.
File Names Should be Short and in Lowercase
We suggest using maximum of 25 characters for the file name. A good practice is to use an acronym associated with the project, a date if necessary and any other meaningful acronym. For example: paho-hss-mr-07-21-2011. pdf or 160223-malaria-conf-cha-keynote-600px.
What should never be used when naming a file? ›
Don't start or end your filename with a space, period, hyphen, or underline. Keep your filenames to a reasonable length and be sure they are under 31 characters. Most operating systems are case sensitive; always use lowercase. Avoid using spaces and underscores; use a hyphen instead.
What are the two recommended practices for naming folders? ›
File and Folder Naming Conventions: Tips and Examples
- Keep filenames short and meaningful. ...
- Use letters (A-Z) and numbers (0-9). ...
- Use underscores and hyphens as delimiters and avoid spaces. ...
- Use the date format YYYYMMDD. ...
- Use a two-‑digit format for single-digit numbers (0–9).
Keep folders and subfolders separate to reduce overlap. However, don't make an excessive number of subfolders (Figure 2). Keep subfolder categories narrow to restrict the number of files in each.
How should folders be labeled? ›
To be safe, only use numbers, letters, dashes, or underscores in your folder names.
How do you name a file professionally? ›
Elements in a file name
- Version number (also see 'Data authenticity');
- Date of creation (date format should be YYYY-MM-DD);
- Name of creator;
- Description of content;
- Name of research team/department associated with the data;
- Publication date;
- Project number.
A file name consists of a base name and an extension, separated by a full stop character (“.”). Under ISO 9660 Level 1, the length of the base name may not exceed eight characters and the extension may not exceed three characters.
How do I organize and name files? ›
Basic Rules to File Naming
- project name, acronym or research data name.
- study title.
- location info.
- researcher initials.
- date (designated YYYYMMDD or YYMMDD, which insures your files will be sorted by chronological order)
- version number.
Examples of naming conventions may include: Children's names may be alphabetical by birth order. In some Asian cultures, siblings commonly share a middle name. In many cultures the son is usually named after the father or grandfather.
How do I organize my electronic files? ›
Eight tips for organizing digital files.
- Make a plan to organize your digital files.
- Make decluttering part of your routine.
- Name digital files clearly.
- Standardize your document types.
- Merge documents strategically.
- Use folder nesting systems.
- Zip it up with zip folders.
- Invest in file organizing software.
File names should:
- Be unique and consistently structured;
- Be persistent and not tied to anything that changes over time or location;
- Limit the character length to no more than 25-35 characters;
- Use leading 0s to facilitate sorting in numerical order if following a numeric scheme “001, 002, …
Keep file names short but meaningful. Include any unique identifiers, e.g. case number, project title. Be consistent. Indicate version number where appropriate. Ensure the purpose of the document is quickly and easily identifiable.
What is a good example of a file name? ›
A filename can be made up of a series of descriptive elements, such as keywords, dates, identifying numbers, etc. To design a file naming convention, you must decide which types of elements should be included and in what order. Examples of filenames based on this example convention might be: 160301_HRC_Geneva_launch.
What is the DOS naming convention for files? ›
In DOS, file names can be eight characters long and have a three character extension. The file extension is a character string that consists of one to three characters, preceded by a period. A file extension is optional.
