File naming convention
Organization: [Organization name] · Applies to: [shared drives, SharePoint, scanned documents]
Owner: [Office manager or IT admin] · Effective: [YYYY-MM-DD] · Version: [1.0]
Every file we keep is named the same way, so anyone can find it, sort it and tell what it is without opening it. Names are built from values on the document, never from a scanner counter or a word like "final".
1. The pattern
Date_Identifier_Description_Version.ext, with folders carrying the document type and who the document is from or about.
- Date first, so files sort in date order.
- Identifier: one value that makes the name unique, such as an invoice, PO, contract or claim number.
- Description: two to four words, only when the folder and identifier do not already say it.
- Version: only for documents that change (drafts, contracts, policies).
2. Dates
- Full dates are YYYY-MM-DD: 2026-09-14. They sort correctly and cannot be misread as day-month or month-day.
- Monthly documents use YYYY-MM: 2026-09. Yearly documents use YYYY.
- Use the date on the document (invoice date, signed date), not the date it was scanned. If there is none, use the received date and say so in [the description or a field].
- Never 9-14-26, 14.09.2026 or Sept 14.
3. Separators and characters
- An underscore separates the parts of a name. A hyphen joins words or numbers inside one part: 2026-09-14_INV-20931.pdf.
- Spaces: [allowed inside a part, as in Northwind Supply / replaced with hyphens]. Pick one and keep to it.
- Use letters, numbers, spaces, hyphens and underscores only. Windows does not allow \ / : * ? " < > | in names, and some systems reject # % & and commas too.
- Write vendor and people names the same way every time: [Northwind Supply], [Lee Jordan] (last name first). Keep a list of approved short names for long ones.
- Keep names under [60] characters. Long folder paths break in some systems and backup tools.
4. Patterns by document type
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| Document type | Folders | File name | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vendor invoice | Invoices / | Invoice date_Invoice number | Invoices/ |
| Purchase order | Purchase orders / | PO date_PO number | Purchase orders/ |
| Vendor statement | Statements / | Statement date | Statements/ |
| Contract | Contracts / | Effective date_Contract type_Version | Contracts/ |
| Signed contract | Contracts / | Effective date_Contract type_signed | Contracts/ |
| HR document | Employees / | Document date_Document type | Employees/ |
| Scanned mail | Scans / | Received date_Sender_Subject | Scans/ |
| Meeting notes | Meetings / | Meeting date_Meeting name | Meetings/ |
| Policy or procedure | Policies | Policy name_Version | Policies/ |
Example names and values are fictional. Replace the rows with your own document types.
5. Versions
- Drafts carry a two-digit version: _v01, _v02, _v03. Two digits keep v10 sorting after v09.
- The approved or signed copy replaces the version with a status: _approved or _signed. There is only one.
- Never use final, final2, new, latest or a person's initials as a version.
- Where the system keeps version history (SharePoint, a document management system), keep one file and let the system track versions instead.
6. What never goes in a file name
File names show up in folder lists, search results, sync logs, email notifications and sharing links, often to people who cannot open the file. Keep these out:
- Social Security numbers and other tax IDs, including vendor tax IDs from W-9s
- Bank account, card, routing and loan numbers
- Dates of birth
- Patient, member or policy numbers, and health details, when they identify a person
- Passwords or anything marked confidential
Use an internal reference instead: a vendor name, an employee ID that means nothing outside [Organization name], a claim number. If you need the private value to find the file, keep it inside the document or in a restricted field.
7. Missing values and duplicates
- When a value is missing, write a word, not nothing: [No PO], [Undated], [Unknown vendor].
- Never overwrite a file with the same name. Add -2, -3 to the second and third, then find out why they clash.
8. Abbreviations we use
| Abbreviation | Means |
|---|---|
| INV | Invoice |
| PO | Purchase order |
| MSA | Master services agreement |
| NDA | Non-disclosure agreement |
| [Add yours] | [Meaning] |