File Naming Tips

Ann K. Emery

Last updated:

Mar 13th, 2026

Related resources:

Spreadsheets

File-naming tips so you don’t lose your work:

✖️ DON’T “save” the same file over and over and over.

All programs crash, especially Excel.

All files get corrupted sometimes, especially Excel.

Saving the same file over and over = more likely to lose your work.

✔️ Instead, “SAVE AS” a new file each work session.

I put the dates in the file name, not “v1” or “v2” or “final-final.”

I use YYYY-MM-DD format so they line up chronologically, not “Jan, Feb, Mar” or “3-2026” accidentally preceding “4-2025.”

I also write brief notes to myself about the focus of that work session (in case I mess something up and need to go back to a previous version).

A coworker taught me the “SAVE AS” technique almost 20 years ago, and when my files get corrupted and garbled and lost entirely, I’m so grateful – because I’ve only lost a single work session of time, not the entire project.

More about Ann K. Emery
Ann K. Emery is a sought-after speaker who is determined to get your data out of spreadsheets and into stakeholders’ hands. Each year, she leads more than 100 workshops, webinars, and keynotes for thousands of people around the globe. Her design consultancy also overhauls graphs, publications, and slideshows with the goal of making technical information easier to understand for non-technical audiences.

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