The Best Way to Name Your Files (3-Step File Naming System) 

True master at stretching content to the 10 minute mark for youtube's algorithm

It'll be hard to sort through 150+ comments at this point, but I would like to point out that for me it's best to use dashes between categories (DATE-SUBJECT_NAME-CODE) because if you double click the category, only the category is highlighted. For example, by double clicking 'filing system' in "2019-09-19-Filing_System-v01", I only highlight that name and can rename it for convenience. Thanks for the great video!

Totally agree with your ideas about 3 important parts of file naming system. Just a little bit difference that I myself usually use double underscore to separate 3 parts of file name, and use YYMMDD as short date format. For example: File_Name_Description__CODE__YYMMDD This double underscore can help me in automatically processing file names, such as splitting 3 parts using scripting languages

Suggestion re version identifiers: Your examples are VER2, VER3, etc. We use 2-place #’s: v01, v02, etc. so that Version 10 will sort after Version 9. (It happens. Not often, but it happens.) Else, Versions 10 & 11 would sort like this: VER1, VER10, VER11, VER2, VER3, & so on. We have used the 3-component method for quite some time, and it works well. Well, OK, about as well as document storage using file names (instead of document library metadata) permits. Good video. Thanks for posting it.

Another method is putting numbers such as 01) when you're trying to guide people to which folder/file to read first in your folders. So, it looks something like 01) Agendas and Minutes 02) Compliant rates 03) Bylaws and organizational structure and so forth Always enjoy your video clips

Labelling: Date (YYYY-MM-DD for best sorting, dash or slash up to you which is easier to read) + Subject (use an underscore between keywords because sometimes you can end up with some funny characters in between but I’ll stick with a space) + Code (e.g. DRAFT, MAIN, PUT IN CAPS)

I know it's been a while since the last comment, but I also use a different method for naming files and folders. I usually use an "_" or a "#" before the name of the file/folder, so it will be prioritized among the other files. Also, there is a difference in the priorities of the two characters, as the files starting with a "#" will be on top of the files starting with an "_", and these files will be on top of all others (despite the priority rule for folders and files).

Hi Scott. I've used the yyyy-mm-dd for a long time. Now you've shown how I can improve on that too. And the underscores advice is very sage. Thanks.

00:00 Introduction 1:38 Date + Subject Name + Code 2:04 Date 4:22 Subject Name 6:10 Unique Identifier or Code 7:15 Design the system for your need 9:28 Conclusion

Thank you for this simple, easy to understand, concise video. Your information is easily applicable and to the point! Kudos!

very useful, love the way you tech-teach. just wonderful

I like your pace and clear speaking voice ... and your graphics. Thanks!

I always wondered how in the world people stay organized with their files... now I know! thank you so much!! very happy I came across this video 🥰

Thanks for validating the file naming scheme I have been using to help me give order to my paperless office. I didn't want to lock my files into a third party file management solution, when I could store them locally or in the cloud, and search for them with Windows Explorer. As you have suggested though, you need enough information in the filename to find it when you need it, so the three parts to the filename makes total sense. But it takes discipline and consistency, so once you are set on a scheme, you need to adhere to it. I use the NameThatFile application to help me do this. Typing filenames every time can result in typos, so NameThatFile generates the name from customizable lists with clicks of a mouse. It can include a date exactly as you have outlined in various positions and accommodates most of the schemes you suggest. It also enables you to sort your files into folders and subfolders according to the parts of the file name. More people should simplify their file naming with your useful scheme.

just subscribed! awesome, logical information and tips in an easy to follow format. Thank you

I've been looking for a discussion like this related to music production files. Maybe it doesn't change much from these ideas. Would love finding more about ideas like this.

It's great, thank you so much for sharing. I'm gonna use this.

Simple and yet great help in filing

Well presented and easy to follow thank you

I have had many years of computer experience, I'm an original Google user. I have learned many things thanks to your videos! Thank you for not having a mindless RU-vid channel. Channels like yourself gives me hope for the world ! Although I wish RU-vid had an donation hope and once reaching your goal would remove sponsor ads lol

if your hdd crashes and you try to recover the files, often what you get are files named in a 8.3 format, wich is the DOS name format because one thing that is lost with the hdd structure is the file table index that stores the relationship between a long file name and the DOS filename. So.. you end up with a lot of files like '123456~1.ext'. I think that it'll be better to use the code or description first or you end up with a lot of files that only have partial dates as names...

Great 👍 It validates the way I used to keep date year in front. But that was only year and month. Adding date and underscore helps further.

This is really usefull! Thanks for sharing! I am going to implement a new file naming systrem for my personal files using one of these three formats, just to play with it!

This for the info. Somehow it helps me how to create a better file name and better ways to find it in a short period of time. This a lot

Awesome tip!! I been using very similar technique . I will definitely tweak it just a tad

If storing movies and shows, etc. on your drive. Make sure to follow this example as having spaces in the folder name or the actual video files will make the file co corrupt or the video-player won't be detecting the files and give an input error instead. Cheers on this, mate! :)

1:38 to skip ad

Thanks for that lesson!

That was great! Thanks for explaining so well

Great video,Scott. Very well explained the file naming system. Thank you. Regards from Mexico City.

Great suggestions and much needed! I like the subject first since it's easier to search for the file I need. Thanks so much!

I am trying to sort my files in this order to save them in an external hard drive in case the unthinkable happens. I also have duplicate versions of the same file and sometimes three in different folders. It gets crazy. I needed a system. This helped me considerably.

I started using (on this last quarter), for my school documents (I'm a student), this method: YYYY.School.uID.subject-topic uID = School Unit ID (in the case it is 3u) subject = The subject (Mathematics, Geography etc.) topic = The topic of the document. The problem with it is these dots, because they can cause problems on some files, Also, the files are a bit confusing to look. Next year I'll use something like you said, thanks for the tips!

THIS IS IT! Thank you so much !!!

Thanks! I'm going to see how this can be incorporated into my genealogy photos.

I definitely like to use the YYYY-MM-DD format in the file name. I, too, include the dashes for readability. But I haven't been using the underscore between words. I have occasionally encountered the problem of special characters being inserted, but mostly in personal use and not in my work situation. It's strange that even after a few decades of computer use, coming up with a distinct file name strategy is still important and useful.

I use the concept of increasing specificity L-R. General category first, more specific category, then specific, then date in yyyy-mm-dd. Alpha-numeric sort brings all related files together. Since greater than 8-bit filenames.

Hey Scott! You suggest three different ways of ordering the information titles. Do you use just one method or do you use different ways for different kinds of documents or for different purposes?

Spent 10 mins on video.....spent 6 hours on comments... Now, i know 251 methods for file naming

What file system will replace space char? Is it MS-DOS or something like that from 1990?

I don't use the underscore between words because people will forget that. However, using the dash, they can see and know it's there. I also can go into rename a file in order to copy the filename for linking to it (such as .pdf or image files). This makes it easier to link to the files in my websites. Once you begin doing this, it sure goes fast! I agree with the dating convention; it does make it all line up just right.

Thank you for the video. I would add how much important is formatting for automation / scripting / AI / BI or getting prepared for future automation. Your formatting is quite ready for that as long as no mistakes are accidently typen. A simple script could recognize the date easily, and for parsing through text, it would identify the tagging (unique id) as a text string with all vowels. I normally use a character to distinguish between the different sections for example: YYYY-MM-DD_subject_Example_#TAG Subject_ExampleNumber2-#OWNER_FIRST_NAME-@Presented_at_Lapland_Meeting-[2018-12-14] both are easy to parse. Also, when users keep following a formatting system, it is quite easy to automate the migration of old data to a new Formatting system. Keep up the good work and keep productive :)

I've been using the 'yyyymmdd_identifier_nnnn' file naming convention for a long time. Made files easy to find and sort from the UNIX shell. Great video. :-)

Great. thank you!

thankyou. very helpful

Thank you so much for this

I use similar systems to you. I believe that the vendors should offer more flexibility in the naming of files such as a multi-part name that can be sorted on the different parts as desired.

Clever to use yyyy-mm-dd, going to be using this going forward

tHanks. This was an enjoyable video that offered suggestions without paranoia. Very appreciated!

Thanks! Veru useful! I didn't know before that some systems don't recognise spaces

I think that it is worth pointing out that the date format you are using conforms with ISO 8601. I am surprised by how many smart people do not see the benefit or understand why these types of standards are created and promoted. Your file naming is a great use case.

Thank you for sharing this video, I found it very useful.

Thank you for the video it was very helpful especially in work we have many files to organise and recall and update them 👍👍👍🙏🙏

Scott, I save a lot of videos by subject, title & length Eg:1013T, to differentiate them from similarly named videos. (T means time) It's a time-saver whenever I need to make comparisons.

Good information Brother ❤❤❤

I use the same file naming system as your first one: yyyy-mm-dd_Subject Name_Unique Identifier. Since these are all personal files, I only use underscore to separate the 3 components of the file name. Some comments have stated that 2-digit year works for them. In my case, I keep all bank statements, credit card statements, ebills, medical documents, etc. Since the files are sorted in order by year then from January (01) to December (12), it makes it so much easier to go to a specific year (one calendar year per folder) and then go to each designated folder (usually the subject name) to find the file for tax or insurance purposes.

I think it's much better to put numbers before any other character to keep the order of the files/folders, like this: 01 Report 02 Plan 03 Pictures And so on. I put a "0" just to avoid 11 coming before 2, for example. It's also great to have a template of how your folders and files should be named, to keep the same format in your whole file system.

Thank you!!

explained well.

i use this system with 'date_name' for folders with photos and the model releases, it works quite well as for the rest of the files (i'm a copywriter), i tried that and didn't work out that well. i still run into the same problem - i remember what i was writing or reading but not the filename itself. (also, some of the texts/materials from the clients are pretty old, and after a year or two i don't remember when i wrote/read them - so sorting by the date doesn't help either) so, filenaming/folders don't work out for me that well. most of my files are on onedrive, they don't have full-text search there. now that i've started noticing how much time i spend (waste, actually) on finding the right file, i keep getting more annoyed by the whole search process. i've ended up considering a third-party solution - saw an ad for ExploriFile (explorifile.com/why-explorifile), i think i'll give it a try. if you know any other solutions like that - let me know, please, i'm kinda desperate at this point.

Good ideas Thanks

Perhaps you could mention about length of file name not to exceed 15 char. As well I noticed a lot of people use characters in filename that cause file corruption....thanks for sharing...

Thanks for this valuable information

Thank you for a logical method that has some flexibility for naming files. One question is there an advantage of the order of Subject, Date, and ID?

Thx - total newbie here (shop teacher trying to crash course myself into this new world)

I use dashes instead of underscores. Underscores combine 2 words to one. If you use a local search it's better to have the words separated.

Thanks. I just used this and Jim's comment to label my Ableton project. I'll probably stick to this naming convention for all my files now to stay organized. Ableton Projects > 2019-12_December > 2019-12-01_Song Name_v01

So you use the same exact system as how to archive, great minds think alike, coincidence, or some "inspiration" taken from videos of times gone by?

As many programmes - access, excel, etc can read folders andn split text by seperators, it's worth considering a special character to do this between then 3 fields especially as then subject can be varying lengths

I use the first method as a developer. What do you you for directory structure? I use 26 directories, one per alphabet letter.

Boss comes up to me. he wants the minutes for some meeting we had last year. That is why a good naming convention is important. Just as important is the location. On a computer we all used you could not see the desk top. Just a sea of Word icons. I used to put the folder path in the footer of the hard copy. Video on search tools? Thanks.

nice, to the point , easy to understand video, liked the logic... why dont they teach this in school... i know many of us gets this with experience... but still...

Really good video!

Next step is the hard one: getting everyone in the office using the same system

Agree - No Spaces !

Good video, critical for people to manage and save time and mind confusion. I use format YYYYMMDDhhmmNameOfFileEasiestForYouToRememberInCamelCase. What do you do with files received, which often have a messy file name? I tend to change it to my file format, however others know the file name as the original messy file name.

It really depends on the file type. Photos i tend to name by date showing first, since most phones and computers use a similar convention. Text files by date last

Thank you

I would only add that which ever is most important to you (Date, Subject, or Code), that should be first. The second most important item should be last. The reason is that this system creates such long file names that they can easily become truncated by columns that are too narrow to see the entire filename.

Good one

Great tips!.Like you, I think your file name needs to include enough information so that you have a fair idea what is in the file from the filename. For me, I often find I have to go to a fourth component. If you find you're constantly typing the same thing in filenames, consider using the application NameThatFile which helps you name files by selecting the date (using ISO 8601 ie reverse order), and parts of the filename from predefined lists, with simple clicks of a mouse. Makes your file naming quick, consistent and reproducible.

With the under scores can you search on Google? Will it find those words?

Good video, the method would assist me.

It is a nice way to put in order. Can we apply this method in folder creation? 🏃👈😁🏃👈🐕😁

I'm a No for the date, least relevant fact for me. Date created is sufficient and already tsgged by the system. If I need a specific annual version then I would label the subject subfolder the year. I really need a system that is subject based, if you ever tackle that topic!

gracias

Date style is excellent. I actually use the two digit style eg. 170213. For data which I backup daily. I do not mess with default name, just save into a folder with the date.

Wow! This is pretty much how I name mine (not exactly the same...but similar)

5:15 another reason: making life easier for programmers, thank you :D

Files and folders are so 20th-century. I feel blessed to use macOS, where these problems are gone. We have Spotlight, tags, smart folders and many (most!) programs use their own libraries inside the program to make the underlaying filesystem transparent.

Im kinda interested with that decision making matrix :)

• Key Components: Date + Subject + Code; • Date: o Put the date first if it is the most important information; o Does not need to be the last modified date (e.g. Date when the file presented if it is a presentation file); o Use yyyy-mm-dd so that information gets sorted properly. • Subject Line: o Add few keywords; o Use a underscore instead of a space to increase readability and compatibility with other software systems. • Unique Identifier or Code o DRAFT for a draft version; VER2 for the second version; o Use all capitals. • The order of these components can change depending on your needs; Put the information by which you want to sort information first. Thank you!

If accessed on a small (phone) screen the entire file may not show up causing the visible part to provide insufficient information. For that the repetitive information needs to come later in the mane.

Also will windows find those words with under scores?

How do you give a file a unique number so that it can be sorted by number?

I sometimes use a number at the beginning when I want the files or folders to display on a set order e.g., 1. Setup 2. Project paper work, 3. Project plan, 4 Deliverables, etc.

how to make a folder ? bc i want to know ??

Panjang lg prjlnn, zainab al Ghazaly, keep strong❤❤

Another advantage of writing the date in the file name is that so when you copy the file the date doesn't get lost. It's infuriating when you have like 20 files that you don't know when they were created because you copied them from somewhere else and it overwrote the date.