Summary
This article describes the best naming practices for files and folders in OneDrive, Teams, or SharePoint.
File & Folder Naming Conventions
Descriptive file names are an important part of organizing, sharing, and keeping track of data files. Develop a naming convention based on elements that are important to the project.
File naming best practices:
- Files should be named consistently
- File names should be short but descriptive (<25 characters)
- Avoid special characters or spaces in a file name
- Use capitals and underscores instead of periods or spaces or slashes
- Use date format: YYYYMMDD
- Include a version number
- Write down naming convention in data management plan
- Do not exceed 260 characters for total folder & file character count. C:\Users\Panda\My Documents\Dropbox\Creative Nonfiction\My Autobiography\Favorite Things\Favorite Foods\Bamboo\Family Recipes\Fresh Leaves.doc (142 characters)
Elements to consider using in a naming convention are:
- Date of creation (putting the date in the front will facilitate computer aided date sorting)
- Short Description
- Work
- Location
- Project name or number
- Sample
- Analysis
- Version number