File Naming Best Practices
Part 1 Content Library:
To maintain clarity and consistency across multiple versions of content in your library, follow these best practices. It is essential to establish a convention before you begin in order to prevent a backlog of unorganized content that will lead to misplaced or lost documents.
File Naming Convention
Use consistent formatting (avoiding spaces, special characters, and excessively long names. Use underscores (_) or hyphens (-)
[Topic]_[Version#]_[Date].[filetype]
Example: SafetyTraining_2025_V3.jpg (yearly changes)
Note: Date can be more or less specific depending on how often files are changing.
Example: SafetyTraining_ May2025_V3.jpg (monthly changes)
Example: SafetyTraining_2025_0507_V3.jpg (frequent changes)
The version number is at the end of the file name so you can quickly find the most updated file.
Versioning Guidelines
- Start with V01 for the first draft.
- Increment the version number with each major change.
- Use the date to track when the version was created.
- Avoid using terms like “final” or “latest”.
Benefits of good file naming:
- Improved organization: Easy to find and retrieve files.
- Reduced errors: Minimizes confusion and accidental overwrites.
- Enhanced collaboration: Makes it easier for teams to share and access files.
- Better data management: Facilitates long-term data storage and retrieval.
- Increased efficiency: Saves time and effort in locating and managing files.
Part 2 LMS Features to practice naming conventions:
Features within the LMS you will want to utilize naming conventions are listed below.
- Forms: The Form name does not show for your learners. Use a naming convention that will work for your administrators when running reports and integrating the forms into courses.
- Assessments: The Assessment names show for your learners. Keep this in mind when naming.
- Courses: Maintain a consistent format throughout your course catalog. Courses can be used multiple times however depending on your use consider that you might need to update activities on a yearly basis.
Examples:
Quality Assurance Manual 2024
Quality Assurance Manual 2023
- Classes: If you plan to have live classes that are repeating add date to class name to optimize Class List search. Course Subject + (MM/DD/YYYY)
Example:
Quality Assurance Manual (05/14/2025)
Quality Assurance Manual May 2025