You know that feeling of frustration when you’re looking for a file and can’t just find it? You know it’s somewhere on your hard drive. Unfortunately, the search terms you’re using generate a list of files you don’t need, and you waste precious time on a frustrating digital scavenger hunt. You are not alone. Many businesses lack consistent file naming conventions. It leads to wasted hours and reduced productivity. However, with a bit of thought and effort, this problem is easy to fix. Here are some quick tips to help you adopt better file naming conventions.

Think about Business Operations First

Before renaming all your folders and files, consider your business structure and how it functions. Folder and file names should reflect how your business operates and stores information. There is no “one size fits all” structure; it will differ depending on the company. However, your file names should be clear to everyone who uses the system.

York University has a list of best practices for file names. They include:

• Keeping file names short and meaningful. No one will be able to interpret cffcrspvssmts.jpg. Instead, call it CoffeeCrispVSSmarties.jpg.
• Using capital letters to separate words. If you must use a separator, use dashes, not spaces, for example, SmithMary-Resume.pdf
• Formatting dates by indicating the year first. The International Standardization Organization (ISO 8601) describes an internationally accepted way to represent dates as YYYY-MM-DD. For example 2025-03-24-Meeting-Notes.pdf

Make It Obvious and Simple

Whatever you do, don’t make it overly complicated! If your system has complex rules, team members will create workarounds and start their own system. It can lead to file duplication and misfiling, and there is a risk of losing information altogether. Keep the file naming convention obvious and the rules easy to follow.

Go Slowly and Strategically

Don’t overhaul everything at once. Instead, implement the new naming conventions with your new files. You could move recent files into folders labelled by year or topic until you can rename them.

Instead of renaming inactive files you rarely access, use your time more productively by changing only the names of the files you need now and moving forward. Then, when you have a few extra minutes, rename the older files.

The Productivity Payoff

A consistent logical naming convention means you spend less time searching for information and more time using it. With a streamlined workflow, your productivity soars. If your business could use a productivity boost, we can help. Contact us through our website to streamline your workplace for success.