Use only lowercase letters.
-
Avoid:
JulieShedd.jpg
-
Use:
julieshedd.jpg
Do not use special characters.
-
Avoid:
cool3dprint!.jpg
-
Use:
cool3dprint.jpg
Do not use spaces to separate words - only hyphens or underscores.
One common practice is to use underscores to separate elements, and hyphens to separate words that make up a single element.
-
Avoid:
Audio Tour of Templeton Museum.mp3
-
Use:
audio-tour_templeton.mp3
Keep file names short.
Long names add to the file size and may not allow users to save them wherever they need to on their local machines.
-
Avoid:
ulysses-s-grant-presidential-library-welcome-sign.jpg
-
Use:
usgpl-sign_welcome.jpg
But, balance this with the need to help searchers find your file - sometimes the content of your file is not clear if you use an abbreviation.
-
Avoid:
digital-media-center-staff.jpg
-
Use:
dmc-staff.jpg
Make file names specific and descriptive of the file's contents.
-
Avoid:
Book1.xlsx
-
Use:
fy22-student-budget-report.xlsx
Exclude dates or version information whenever possible.
Especially for living documents, website screenshots, staff photos, or anything else that may receive future updates.
-
Avoid:
msulibraries-strategic-plan-2018-2022.pdf
-
Use:
msulibraries-strategic-plan.pdf
But for time-sensitive material that is unlikely to be updated, including dates may be helpful.
-
Avoid:
IMG_3947.jpg
-
Use:
news_2020-10-05_maroon-friday.jpg
If you must include version information, put it at the very end of the file name.
-
Avoid:
smallauthorpostcard.jpg; FINAL-budget-report.pdf
-
Use:
author-postcard_sm.jpg; author-postcard_lg.jpg
Start with the most general information first, then narrow down.
This can help you keep your files organized on your own machine.
-
Avoid:
magnoliadatabaseflyer.pdf
-
Use:
flyer-magnolia-databases.pdf
Use file types that are as openly and freely available as possible.
-
Avoid:
ragtime-brochure.indd
-
Use:
ragtime-brochure.pdf
Be consistent.
Whatever convention you choose for your own files, use the same one for every file.
