What is a good naming convention for notes?
Be Descriptive and Consistent
A good note title tells you what the note is about without opening it. Include key details like project, person, or date.
Consistency helps with sorting and searching. Pick a format and stick to it, such as 'Meeting with John - 2025-03-15' or 'ProjectX - Design Ideas'.
- Include date for time-sensitive notes: 2025-03-15 Meeting Notes
- Start with project or category: Work - Quarterly Report
- Use hyphens or underscores instead of spaces for better search
- Avoid generic titles like 'Notes' or 'Untitled'
Consider Sorting and Search
If you want chronological sorting, start with the date in YYYY-MM-DD format. This ensures notes sort correctly regardless of month names.
For topical sorting, start with the main subject. You can also add tags in the title, but that can clutter; better to use actual tags.
Examples of Good Conventions
Common conventions include: 'YYYY-MM-DD - Topic', 'Project - Topic - Date', or 'Person - Topic'. Choose one that fits your workflow.
If you use a tool like Obsidian, you might use '[[ProjectX]] Meeting 2025-03-15' to link to a project note.
Common mistakes
- Using vague titles that require opening the note to understand.
- Mixing date formats (e.g., 03-15-2025 vs 2025-03-15) causing sorting issues.
- Including special characters that may not be search-friendly.
