File names like Report_final.docx, Report_final2.docx, Report_new.docx, and Report_really_final.docx are easy enough for the author to understand. It is much harder to do so a week later, or for anyone else who opens the folder. In this situation it is challenging to know which file is the current draft, which is the approved copy and which is the version that was actually sent.
A good document file name convention should provide clear information about the document without being excessive in length. The file name should include the document type, subject, date and version or status for example, and not just say Contract_new. The actual order does not matter so long as it is consistently followed by those using the documents.
Dates should also be included. Using a format such as 2026-07-18 means they will appear in date order in a sort by name display. The dates 18-07-26 or July18, however, can create confusion, especially when different date systems are being used by the document users. The same is true of the version. Again use only one convention, such as v01, v02, v03 and not switch from one status term to another, such as updated, latest, revised, new without a specific definition for each one.
For example approved copies can be easily identifiable from working documents if they are kept as a series of numbered versions then an approval status is applied when the review is finished, rather than trying to say whether a document is final by calling it Procedure_AccessRequests_2026-07-18_APPROVED instead of Procedure_final. The document register can then also be updated to indicate what version was approved, who approved it, and where the final approved copy is located.
As an activity place a set of five different files that have been named badly into one folder using names such as scan, final, final copy, edited, new version. Open each one, write down what it is its title, date, subject status, and how it relates to the other copies then rename the file set into one convention. If you then close them you should be able to identify the approved copy easily, using only the name of the file.
File naming is not a replacement for other parts of the document workflow, it helps, but it does not do all of the work on its own. A well named file is useful for sorting, routing, retrieval and version comparison, but still has to work with other aspects of the document management process, such as document registers and audit trails. It is best not to make assumptions about which files are up to date or to just delete, send off or file without checking if there is more than one current version. Unclear file names are annoying; wrong versions can be costly for all the process steps to follow.