File Naming Convention: Define Your Own Rules

What is a file naming convention?

A file naming convention is an agreed pattern for naming files so anyone can tell what a file is without opening it. It decides which pieces go in a name (client, project, shot, size, version), in what order, and how they are separated.

In creative work this matters more than in most fields. One project can hold hundreds of files: footage, stills, audio, project files, precomps, renders and review exports. When names are random, people lose time hunting, relinking and guessing which render is current.

What should a file name include?

Pick the parts you actually need and keep their order fixed. Common choices:

• Project or client code: a short code such as ACM for Acme Company.

• Asset or shot ID: HERO01, Shot020, LowerThird.

• Descriptor: a few plain words, such as Launch or Logo_Sting.

• Format or size: 16x9, 1080x1350.

• Version: v01, v02, v03, zero-padded so files sort correctly.

• Status or owner (optional): review, APPROVED, or the artist's initials.

Put together, one option looks like this:

ACM_AcmeCompany_Launch_16x9_v03_review.mp4

A simpler studio might only use three parts, like ACM_HERO01_Launch.mp4. Both are fine. What matters is that every file follows the same pattern.

What should I avoid in file names?

• Spaces and special characters. Use underscores or hyphens. Characters like &, # and % can break scripts, servers and links.

• The word "final." Files named final, final2 and final_final_USE_THIS stop meaning anything quickly. Use a version number and a status instead.

• Vague names. New comp 4.mov and Untitled-2.aep tell nobody anything.

• Mixed styles. If some files use v3 and others use Version_03, search and sorting both fall apart.

• Very long names. Long names can get cut off in lists and hit path-length limits on some systems.

How do I handle versions and dates?

Use a zero-padded version number (v01, v02 ... v10) so files sort in the right order. Without padding, v10 can sort before v2.

If you use dates, write them year first, such as 20261017, so a plain alphabetical sort is also a chronological sort. Some studios skip dates in file names and keep them only in folder names. That is a valid choice too.

Keep status words (review, APPROVED, DELIVERED) separate from the version number. A version tells you which pass it is. A status tells you where it stands.

Should every studio use the same convention?

No. People disagree about numbered folders, dates in names, and how many parts a name should have, and each approach can work. A freelancer might want a short pattern. A studio working with many clients and a producer tracking tickets might want more parts.

The pattern matters less than two things: that it is written down, and that it is used the same way every time. Examples in this guide use ACM_AcmeCompany for illustration only. Your studio defines its own rules.

How do I make sure the team actually follows it?

Conventions tend to fade without a check. A few habits help:

1. Write the pattern in one place and include two or three real examples of good names.

2. Use the same pattern in every tool. The names in Adobe® After Effects®, Adobe® Premiere Pro® and on disk should follow the same rules.

3. Check names before handoff. Look through a delivery folder for names that break the pattern before it goes to a client or another artist.

4. Make it easy. If following the rule takes effort, people skip it, so keep the pattern as short as your work allows.

How can I check my file names for free?

Paste a file name into Prisma Scanner and see how it scores. It is free and needs no signup. The score is a heuristic read of the text you paste, not a full audit, but it quickly shows names that are vague, inconsistent or risky.

Prisma is built around the idea that you define your own naming rules, so "good" is whatever your studio decides. You set them once in Prisma Hub, the Prisma app for Mac.

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