File names – best practices for naming files

In each larger company of today’s digital world, countless files are created, edited, and shared over the internet. Sophisticated file names improve findability and facilitate the exchange of information. A consistent system for file names can therefore contribute more to productivity than one might think.

Before we take look at possible solutions, we should briefly show what it means not to follow a system.

Almost every PC user has probably spent time searching for inadequately named files in the ‘digital haystack’. If one does not find the required file within a few minutes, the process can quickly become very frustrating.

It is well known that inadequate file names are a particular problem when no metadata (keywords, descriptions, etc.) and a meaningful folder structure is missing. This situation is not only the most unfavorable, but unfortunately also the most common: users who do not take the trouble to name files do not even think about creating suitable metadata or folder structures.

This is the reality for many private users. In the corporate sector, there are usually approaches for a filing system, although there are also numerous cases of chaos here.

The systematic naming of files is the first step on the path to optimized findability. In this article, we will deliberately limit ourselves to this first step. You will be amazed at how much can be achieved with a bit of organizational sense and consistency.

The simplest system is not the worst

There are areas of application in which it makes sense to use a simple consecutive number as a file name, e.g. in stock photo agencies or similar digital archives. Of course, you should work with leading zeros. Otherwise, the following sorting errors can easily occur:

1.jpg
10.jpg
2.jpg
3.jpg
etc.

The number of leading zeros should correspond to a value that is realistically possible. For a larger stock photo agency that markets millions of pictures, the implementation could look like this, for example:

00000001.jpg
00000002.jpg
00000003.jpg
…
99999999.jpg

With 8 digits, there are 100 million – 1 possible image numbers, which should be more than sufficient.

Nota bene: the principle of consecutive numbering is also referred to as Numerus Currens (common in archives and libraries).

The date as part of the file name

Using temporal aspects such as the creation date of a file or the recording date of a photo as an organizing criterion is useful and widespread. Of course, there are a few things to bear in mind:

• • For chronological listing, the date must be placed at the beginning of the file name.
  • The format should be sortable (e.g. YYYYMMDD or YYYY-MM-DD).
  • At least one further attribute should be added for differentiation.

Taking these points into account, valid file names would look like this, for example:

20240403_001.jpg
20240403_999.jpg
20241001_010.jpg

The date is set here in sortable form (YYYYMMDD) as a prefix and the rear part consists of a sequential number.

Avoidance of special characters and spaces

Some special characters cannot be used within a file name because they are not permitted by the system. Under Windows, this affects the following characters:

/ : * ? ” <> |

Under macOS, / (slash) and : (colon) are invalid or problematic, under Linux systems it is only the slash.

To enable flawless exchange of files across operating systems, the list of invalid characters under Windows should therefore always be taken into account.

In Windows, some file names (consisting of 3 to 4 characters) are also permanently reserved for the system. For example, you will not be able to create file names such as nul, con or com0 (regardless of the file extension, for details see naming conventions under Windows).

Establish web compatibility

If you work in a cloud environment or if your files are to be shared frequently via links or embedded in websites, you should make sure that the characters can be transferred directly to a URL when naming them. Otherwise, URLs are created that look ugly and are difficult to remember, as the following example shows:

File name: neue Maßstäbe.pdf

URL-encoded: new%20Ma%C3%9Fst%C3%A4be.pdf

However, if you replace spaces with underscores or hyphens, umlauts with ae oe or ue and ß (sharp s) with double s, the encoded URL looks much more readable:

neue-Massstaebe.pdf

Incidentally, it makes sense to use a combination of underscores and hyphens to replace spaces, as this improves readability.

Capitalization rules

Depending on the operating system and settings, the naming of files may or may not be case sensitive. Under Windows, for example, file names are not case-sensitive, but under most Linux distributions they are, and under macOS both is possible, although the default setting is case-insensitive.

Under Windows, no files that differ only in upper / lower case can be stored in the same path. A search for test.jpg would be identical to a search for Test.jpg. Under Ubuntu Linux, however, a search that differentiates between test.jpg and Test.jpg would be possible.

What does this mean in relation to our question?

To do this, we need to go back to the URL. The decisive section of a URL behaves in a case-sensitive manner. The three following URLs could therefore refer to three different pages:

1. 1. https://teamnext.de/Principles-for-Filenames.html
   2. https://teamnext.de/principles-for-filenames.HTML
   3. https://teamnext.de/Principles-for-filenames.html

This may be a sensible consequence for Linux-savvy users, but Windows users are likely to be irritated by it. In any case, the coexistence of ‘almost identical’ URLs is an unattractive thing.

Does this mean that lower case has to be used in general? That would probably be asking too much, but it would standardize web-based file exchange. So if you want to do everything right in terms of web compatibility, write a file name in lower case:

principles-for-filenames.html

The most common file names

The most common file names include those suggested by the program you are using: e.g. Doc1.docx, Sheet1.xlsx or Scan1.pdf.

Then there are those that have been entered manually but do not reveal much about the content apart from the file status, e.g. Text_new.docx, Draft_v1.docx or Logo_final_final.psd (to pick up on a well-known meme).

Incidentally, ‘high-speed naming’ produces the worst names: very short ones like a.jpg, interchangeable ones like temp.txt or even cryptic-looking ones like asdf.docx, simply because the letters lie so nicely together.

How many content hints do we need?

How not to do it should be clear by now. So let’s get back to the positive determination of suitable file names.

It can certainly do no harm to include information on the version status in the file name, but it is much more important to provide information on the content. After all, you are much more likely to search for terms relating to the content, purpose or occasion if you want to find the file again at a later date.

Content information should be short, concise and distinct. The use of clear abbreviations can also be helpful. Longer descriptions or keyword lists explicitly do not belong in the file name (but in corresponding metadata containers).

Is there a DIN standard for file names?

Yes, there is. In DIN standard 5008:2020-03, section 25.3 is dedicated to file naming. The main provisions found there have already been discussed here, but it cannot hurt to repeat some of them:

• • File names consist of two to three parts (e.g. date, occasion, content keyword).
  • A separator should be inserted between the parts of the file name.
  • The date should be organised numerically in the order year, month, day.
  • The order of the elements of the file name can be changed for sorting.
  • Spaces and special characters such as umlauts should be avoided in file names.

However, the most important rule is:

File naming should be consistent within an organization.

More on this in the next section.

Consistency is essential

In principle, organization-wide conventions and schemes should be created for file naming. This also applies to content aspects of the file name. For example, if you create a document that is about an annual general meeting, you should find a standardized spelling. In reality, unfortunately, it usually looks like the next example (three years, three different schemes).

Invitation AGM 2022.pdf
Annual-General-Meeting-2023-Invitation.pdf
Invitation_General_Meeting_2024.pdf

Wouldn’t it be nice to have order here? No sooner said than done:

20211210_Invitation_AGM_2022.pdf
20221209_Invitation_AGM_2023.pdf
20231208_Invitation_AGM_2024.pdf

For the most part, constructing a standardized filing system is not difficult at all. Nevertheless, such projects often fail. After all, the best system is useless if hardly anyone sticks to it.

The standardized naming of files is of course most feasible for solo self-employees; it can also work well in small working groups. In larger companies, on the other hand, there are often too many people who have to play along. Human factors such as laziness, impatience or self-will are notoriously difficult to eradicate and unfortunately stand often in the way of a consistently managed filing system.

Conclusion

Implementing a thoughtful file naming system is more than just a matter of personal organization; it’s a business decision that increases accessibility to digital content, improves information sharing and ultimately increases productivity to a certain extent – if everyone plays along. Unfortunately, this cannot be taken for granted. In this respect, the best practices presented here are only worth anything if those involved can be persuaded to implement them consistently.

It must therefore be at the top of the agenda that new employees are made aware of the issue right from the start and that they receive adequate introductory training. In addition, one should think about a basic training course that is not just about file names, but about professional digital asset management as a whole. The art of file naming only unfolds its full potential in a triad with meaningful folder structures and optimized metadata.

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