File Naming Conventions for AI Images & Design Files (with Templates)
Five proven naming conventions, when to use each, copyable templates and why hyphens keep names readable and web-safe.
Why does Archivist use hyphens in filenames?
Archivist uses hyphens between fields and words and keeps ISO dates in YYYY-MM-DD format, e.g. 2026-09-14-mountain-lake-cinematic-mj-v1.png. Hyphens are readable and web-safe; Google recommends them to separate words in URLs.
Why put the date first?
An ISO date (YYYY-MM-DD) at the start sorts files chronologically in every file browser and is unambiguous across countries.
Can I create my own naming convention?
Yes. Pro users can create custom presets with their own pattern and description focus.
Which preset is best for AI images?
The AI preset: YYYY-MM-DD-content-style-source-version. It keeps the tool and version in the name so iterations stay together.