Name creator project files so the right version is easy to find.

1. Choose a stable project identity

Use a short project label that will still make sense after the deadline changes. Avoid putting private customer details in every filename when a neutral project code will do. Keep the code’s explanation in the project notes where authorized collaborators can find it.

National Archives guidance emphasizes descriptive, consistent filenames, with components such as project names and dates in the same position. Its document concerns federal records transfer; ATN borrows the organizational principle rather than treating every technical restriction in that guidance as a requirement for your creative work.

Sources: [1]

2. Separate source, work, and delivery

Start with a few folders that answer practical questions: where are the originals, which file can I edit, and which file was approved for delivery? Keep supplied assets and usage notes together so an export can be traced back to its source.

These labels are an ATN example, not a software standard. A simple project may need fewer folders; add complexity only when it solves an observed retrieval problem.

3. Make versions and dates predictable

Use the same order for each part of a filename. An example is intro-banner-web-v03.png: project, purpose, version, and actual file extension. Keep the extension supplied by the application; changing its letters does not convert a file to another format.

The National Archives’ file-naming guidance recommends consistent structures, leading zeros for numeric sequences, and year-month-day dates. For a dated recording, an example is 2026-09-30-intro-take02.wav. Choose whether a date means recorded, exported, or approved, and document that meaning so collaborators do not interpret the same number differently.

Sources: [2]

4. Check dependencies before moving files

Some editing projects refer to media stored elsewhere. Before reorganizing an active project, check the application’s instructions for moving or collecting its assets. Work on a separate copy when testing a new structure, and preserve the original until you have reopened the project successfully.

Do not bulk-rename an entire archive merely to make every folder look identical. Start with the current project or the next new one. If a file is already linked in a shared document or delivery record, update that reference deliberately and let the project notes explain the change.

5. Test whether the system helps you retrieve work

Ask yourself to find the editable master, the latest reviewed version, and the approved delivery without opening every file. If someone else is collaborating, give them the same task using only the project notes. Record confusing labels and simplify them.

At handoff, preserve the relationship between the delivered file and its master. Note the destination and approval date in the delivery record rather than rewriting every earlier filename. An organized folder is useful, but it is not itself a backup; keep a separate recovery plan for material you cannot easily recreate.