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Tips for Naming Your Microsoft Word Files

Use descriptive names to organize your documents and find files quickly

By James Marshall James Marshall Writer James Marshall is a pro journalist who covers technology and computer troubleshooting. He is also skilled with Microsoft Word, Apple Pages, and other word processors. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on March 4, 2020 Tweet Share Email Nikada / Getty Images Tweet Share Email MS Office Word Excel Powerpoint Outlook When you save documents in Microsoft Word, give your documents a descriptive name so that you can find files quickly. Develop a naming system and you'll never have to browse your computer hard drive or open files to find the information you want. Here's how to develop a naming system that will speed up your search.

The Right Naming System

There's no right or wrong way to name files, and naming systems vary from user to user. Find a method that makes sense to you and apply it consistently. Here are some examples of information to include in the file name to make it quick and easy to find files: The date the document was composed: Add a date to the file name of most documents, especially with correspondence. If you don’t remember when you composed a document, narrow your search to a specific time period.The recipient’s name: Include the name of the recipient when working with letters and other types of documents such as contracts, memos, and notes.The type of document: Examples of document types include letter, contract, proposal, blog post, and report. If you’re looking for a letter you wrote, you can eliminate files that have contract or proposal in the file name. The information you include in the file name should be in the same order in all your files. This consistent order helps when searching using the sorting controls in the Word Open dialog box or in Windows Explorer. The sorting controls sort files alphabetically (or numerically) so that the files are sorted by the first character in the file name. This isn’t an exhaustive list of tips on naming files, but it's a good place to start. Once you start a practice of naming files in a consistent manner, you’ll develop a system that works best for you, and come up with some tricks of your own. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Keep Your Word Documents Organized How to Control F on iPad How to Use Microsoft Word How to Save an Outlook Email as a PDF How to Hyperlink in Word Documents How to Use Problem Steps Recorder in Windows How to Use Text Boxes in Microsoft Word What Is a Computer File? How to Share and Collaborate With Google Drive How to Find Files Faster Using Spotlight Keyword Searches How to Plan and Create WordPerfect Templates How to Share a Folder of Google Drive How to Email a Google Doc How to Fix It When Microsoft Word Is Not Responding How to Make a Brochure in Microsoft Word How to Create Mail Merge Letters in Word Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies