Naming Conventions

What’s in a name? Quite a lot. Not only do you want file names to correspond somewhat to their content for easy sorting on the server, but users may have some expectations about file names, too.

Here are some style tips to keep in mind when naming, as well as the best practices to follow.

Files and Directories

Know the basics: You can use any letter or number and a hyphen. No spaces, no underscores, no punctuation!

Keep it short

“Downloadables”

The same rules apply for Files and Directories, especially the extension, as some older Macs will leave it off of the file name.

Let the user know what they are downloading. Adding a file size is nice for larger files.

Links and URLs

Try to link descriptive text rather than just listing the URL or saying, “click here.” People using screen reader software can scan a page by reading only the links; the descriptive text makes this much easier. People that visually scan your site will benefit from this as well.

If it cannot be avoided, use the full URL so devices can have an easier time detecting the link.