How to Name Your Files (2025 Edition)

Despite decades of “improvements,” the best filename conventions haven’t changed. Here’s what still works:

The Rules

All lowercase

No spaces (use underscores or dashes)

Use ISO dates when needed: 2025-03-15

Examples:

meeting_notes_2025-03-15.txt

quarterly_report_q1.pdf

user-authentication-system.js

Why This Still Matters

Command line compatibility. No quotes needed:

$ mv project_files.zip archive/

Universal compatibility. Works on every system, old or new.

URL-safe. No %20 nonsense in web addresses.

Script-friendly. Automated tools won’t choke on your filenames.

Consistent sorting. Alphabetical order actually makes sense.

What About Readability?

Yes, My Important Document.pdf is more readable than my_important_document.pdf. But which one works better when you’re:

Running a backup script

Uploading to a server

Processing files in bulk

Sharing via URL

Technical reliability beats minor readability gains.

Common Patterns

Documents: project_proposal_v2.docx

Backups: database_backup_2025-03-15.sql

Images: hero_image_1920x1080.jpg

Code: user-auth-middleware.js

Archives: site_backup_2025-03-15.tar.gz

Bottom Line

Modern systems handle spaces fine. But your files don’t always stay on modern systems. Stick with conventions that work everywhere, always.

Your future self will thank you.