SOP-FILE-NAMING-1.0Rev. v1.0··2026-05-01

File Naming, reloaded

Why a file-naming scheme makes your knowledge faster to find, safer to trust and easier to audit

PROCEDURE

1
Look at the current file name and take the creation date from the file properties or its contents.
TOOLS
File explorerProperties dialog
DURATION30 sec
☐Checkpoint: Date noted as YYYY-MM-DD.
2
Choose a keyword in a single word (e.g. “quote”, “accounts”, “minutes”). No sentences, no special characters.
MATERIALS
Keyword list per domain
DURATION20 sec
☐Checkpoint: Keyword matches the convention on the list.
3
Apply scheme S2: <YYYY-MM-DD>_<keyword>_<modifier?>_v01.<ext>.
TOOLS
Cheat sheet S1–S11
DURATION20 sec
☐Checkpoint: Format S2 checked visually.
4
Set the version number to two digits, starting at _v01.
DURATION5 sec
☐Checkpoint: _v01 (not _v1) in the name.
5
Rename the file and move the original into “archive/<year>/” — never delete it.
TOOLS
File explorer
MATERIALS
Archive folder
DURATION40 sec
☐Checkpoint: Original in the archive, new name on the desktop.
6
Add an entry to the file inventory (CSV or Notion): old name, new name, migration time, who did it.
TOOLS
file-inventory.csv
DURATION30 sec
☐Checkpoint: Entry visible in the inventory, sync status green.

BACKGROUND

Why this matters now

We have crossed the line where file names stop serving the person and start blocking them. Cloud sync, AI search and compliance audits now treat the file name like an API — not like a sticky note.

The rules

#1Date first

YYYY-MM-DD at the front turns your file explorer into a timeline. ISO 8601 sorts alphabetically and chronologically at once — for free.

#2Keyword, not a story

One word, not a sentence. The scheme decides the order, not the length.

#3Version explicitly

_v01, _v02 — two digits, starting at 01. Saves you the sorting bugs that bite from v10 onwards.

#4Status sparingly

Status tags like _DRAFT, _REVIEW, _FINAL only when the workflow forces it. Otherwise they just clutter the eye.

#5Case does not matter

Lower-case the convention. Cloud storage sometimes ignores upper and lower case — and you should not have to know when.

Before / after

Before	After
Quote Acme Ltd REVISED 2 (copy)_FINAL_now_really.docx	2026-05-01_quote_acme_v03.docx

Which scheme for which use case

DIN 5008 (S1/S2): office, contracts, quotes, reporting.
SemVer (S6): APIs, SDKs, software releases — MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH.
ISO 8601 + time (S3): logs, capture streams, telemetry.
GAMP 5 (S5): regulated systems (pharma, medical devices).
Logseq convention (S11): personal knowledge vaults with Git.

SemVer: Semantic Versioning — MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH. MAJOR = breaking, MINOR = feature, PATCH = bugfix. The standard for APIs, because machines can reason about the order of the numbers.

# Example migration for a directory
for f in *.docx; do
  mv "$f" "$(date -I)_${f// /_}"
done

The human side

The most common cause of failure is not the wrong scheme but the missing example from the top. If the leadership team keeps sending “xyzFINAL.docx”, the team learns that the convention is optional.

A file-naming convention is 30% standard and 70% discipline.
— from the pilot workshop

Done in three weeks

Week 1: decide the scheme (one workshop, 90 minutes).
Week 2: pilot in a single team — old files live on, new ones follow the rule.
Week 3: organisation-wide roll-out with a short cheat sheet (one PDF page).

Bring your knowledge into shape.

Give your knowledge a name you can find again. Your second brain holds the convention so you do not have to — a partner, not a filing cabinet.

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