Give a file a name you would actually search for
Rename a file so your future self can find it.
Most files arrive with names nobody chose. Scan0042. IMG_9931. Document (3).
Those names came from a machine, not from you. They describe nothing. Six months later you are opening files one by one to see what they are.
Renaming fixes that in about ten seconds. You are not changing the file itself. The photo is still the photo, the letter is still the letter. You are only changing the label on the outside.
A good name answers two questions: what is this, and when is it from. Write it the way you would say it out loud. Roof estimate Miller Brothers March 2026. Medicare letter January. Grandkids beach trip.
One thing to leave alone. Many computers show a period and a few letters at the end, like .pdf or .jpg. That part tells the computer which program opens the file. Change the words before the period and leave the ending as it is.
Key points
- A file name is a note you leave for your future self.
- Machine names like Scan0042 describe nothing.
- Good names say what it is and when it is from.
- Renaming changes the label, never the contents.
- Leave the ending after the period as it is.
What to remember
- Renaming changes the label, never the contents.
- Name a file the way you would describe it to a friend on the phone.
- When you rename, change the words in front of the period and leave the ending alone.
Try this
Open your Documents folder, find the worst named file you own, and rename it with plain words plus a month and year.
Practice: Give a file a name you would actually search for. Your first lesson is free, with no account or card; the rest are part of a Lantern plan. Interactive lessons require JavaScript.