Client file examples
Rename and organize client project files on Mac and Windows
Turn messy client folders into consistent, searchable filenames using content-aware renaming, Presets (Filename template or Written instructions), review before applying, History with Undo, watched folders, Rules, and tags (Finder tags on Mac).
Use this workflow for proposals, SOWs, contracts, reports, screenshots, Word docs, Excel sheets, exports, images, and video assets. NameQuick organizes local files; it does not replace your CRM, DMS, project management tool, or client source of truth.
For example, Final_v3.pdf can become Northstar-Books_Website-Refresh_SOW_2026-04-18_v3.pdf.
What arrives in a client folder
Signed PDFs, proposals, and SOWs saved from email or e-signature tools, often named Final_v3.pdf or signed agreement.pdf.
Decks, reports, and spreadsheet exports from different tools, named final deck v2.pdf or export (12).xlsx.
Screenshots, product shots, design images, and video cuts named Screenshot 2026-05-09 at 14.22.10.png or render_final_final.mp4.
CSV and analytics exports, call summaries, and admin memos saved as Word docs named client notes.docx.
Start with the client file filename format
Start with a filename format when every file should follow the same field order. Go to Presets > New Preset > Filename template, then build this spec with Add part.
Fields - Client - Project - Document or asset type - Date or period - Status or version Pattern {client}_{project}_{type}_{date_or_period}_{status_or_version} Field rules - Use the client name when it is visible in the document, filename, or folder context. - Use the project, campaign, retainer, or workstream name when it is clear. - Use a type such as Proposal, SOW, Report, Screenshot, CSV-Export, or Video-Ad. - Use exact dates as YYYY-MM-DD, or a period as YYYY-MM or YYYY-Q#. - Use Draft, Signed, Approved, or v1/v2/v3 only when the file supports it. If a field is unclear, do not guess: set If not found to Skip file (the file waits for review) or to Use text with a marker such as Needs-Review. Do not include - private identifiers, client addresses, or phone numbers - account, payment, or invoice numbers - confidential notes or unreleased commercial terms
Filename format variants
Pick the variant that matches how you sort these files. Each keeps the same structured pattern.
Use for client-facing work such as decks, reports, mockups, video cuts, strategy docs, and creative outputs.
- •Use short deliverable types such as Strategy-Deck, Monthly-Report, or Design-Mockup
- •Keep Draft, Final, Approved, or v1/v2/v3 visible when review status matters
- •Avoid confidential details in filenames unless your team already permits them
Fields NameQuick reads from client and project files
For client folders, the most useful fields are usually the client, project, file type, date, status, version, period, or asset context.
Client and project names should not be guessed. If NameQuick cannot identify a field reliably, the file should wait: with If not found → Skip file it is held for review; with Use text it gets your own marker such as Needs-Review.
| Field | Useful for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Client | Grouping work by client in Finder or File Explorer, in search, and in Rules | Northstar-Books |
| Project | Separating retainers, campaigns, audits, launches, matters, or workstreams | Website-Refresh |
| Document type | Understanding the file without opening it | SOW, Proposal, Contract, Report |
| Date | Sorting chronologically and avoiding vague names like final | 2026-04-18 |
| Status or version | Tracking draft, signed, approved, final, revised, or numbered versions | Draft, Signed, Approved, v3 |
| Deliverable type | Separating client-facing work from supporting material | Strategy-Deck, Monthly-Report, Video-Ad |
| Source channel | Capturing where the file came from when that helps triage | Email, Slack, Client-Portal, Zoom |
| Asset type | Organizing screenshots, images, videos, audio, design files, and exports | Screenshot, Hero-Image, CSV-Export |
| Period | Monthly, quarterly, annual, or campaign reporting | 2026-05, 2026-Q2, FY2026 |
| Owner or department | Shared client folders where team ownership matters | Finance, Legal, Creative, Ops |
Keep sensitive data out of filenames
These details should never appear in a filename. The filename format and written instructions on this page tell the AI to leave them out.
- private identifiers, client addresses, or phone numbers
- account, payment, or invoice numbers
- confidential notes or unreleased commercial terms
- guessed client, project, or status values (use If not found → Skip file or your own marker such as Needs-Review instead)
A practical workflow
Start with one messy client or project folder
Choose a real folder (in Finder or File Explorer) such as Downloads, Desktop, a client inbox, or a shared project folder. Include a representative mix of PDFs, Word docs, Excel sheets, screenshots, exports, and assets.
Let the AI read the content
NameQuick passes the file content to the AI model: text from documents and, for scanned PDFs, screenshots, and image-based documents, the image itself, from which the model reads the client, project, date, and document type. There is no separate local OCR step.
Pick the fields you want to standardize
For most client work, start with client, project, document type, date, and status or version. Add period, source, owner, or asset type only when they help you find files faster.
Choose or create a Preset
Use a Preset with a filename format that matches the folder. Use a deliverables filename format for client-facing work, a contracts filename format for SOWs and agreements, and a report/export filename format for spreadsheets and recurring exports.
Use written instructions for mixed folders
Paste written instructions that tell NameQuick how to handle PDFs, contracts, screenshots, spreadsheets, design assets, meeting notes, and uncertain files. Do not let unclear fields be guessed: ask for your own marker such as Needs-Review in the instructions, or in a Filename template set If not found to Skip file.
Review suggested names before applying
Set Apply suggestions from files you add to Review first, then check the before/after list in NameQuick. Check client names, project names, dates, document types, version labels, and anything carrying your Needs-Review marker before names are applied to local files.
Apply the batch, then undo if needed
Apply approved names in batches. If a batch does not look right before you apply it, do not apply it: clear the list, adjust the Preset, and add fresh copies. After applying, you can undo a batch from History where possible.
Turn the setup into a repeatable folder workflow
Add recurring inbox folders (scanner, export, or client inbox folders) as watched folders under Settings > Folders > Add folder, starting with Review first. Rules under After a file is renamed then move files based on words in the finished name and set tags (Finder tags on Mac). Rules act only on watched folders, not on Quick Rename.
Optional: use written instructions
If free-form instructions suit this folder better, paste these into Presets > New Preset > Written instructions. A filename format remains the more consistent starting point when every file should follow the same structure.
Rename each file for a client/project folder based on the visible file contents. The folder may contain PDFs, scanned PDFs, Word documents, Excel sheets, CSV exports, screenshots, images, video assets, contracts, proposals, SOWs, reports, meeting notes, and admin documents. Preferred format: {client}_{project}_{documentType-or-assetType}_{date-or-period}_{status-or-version} Extraction rules: - Use the client name when it is visible in the document, filename, folder context, or repeated file content. - Use the project, campaign, matter, retainer, workstream, or deliverable name when clear. - Use document types such as Proposal, SOW, Contract, Report, Meeting-Notes, Design-Mockup, Screenshot, CSV-Export, Video-Ad, Invoice-Support, or Client-Approval. - Use exact dates as YYYY-MM-DD. - Use periods as YYYY-MM or YYYY-Q# for monthly or quarterly reports. - Use Draft, Signed, Approved, Final, Needs-Review, or v1/v2/v3 only when supported by the document or existing filename. - For screenshots and images, use visible UI, subject, asset type, or context, but keep the name concise. - For videos, include duration or placement only if it is obvious and useful, such as 15s, 30s, Demo, Walkthrough, or Social-Ad. Safety rules: - Do not guess missing client, project, or status fields. - If the file is important but unclear, add Needs-Review instead of inventing details. - Do not include private identifiers, full addresses, phone numbers, account numbers, payment details, or confidential notes in the filename. - Use hyphens inside field values and underscores between major fields. - Remove characters that are not allowed in Mac or Windows filenames: / \ : * ? " < > | and line breaks. - Keep the filename readable and under 140 characters when possible. - Preserve the original file extension. Examples: Final_v3.pdf -> Northstar-Books_Website-Refresh_SOW_2026-04-18_v3.pdf client notes.docx -> Harbor-Studio_Q2-Retainer_Meeting-Notes_2026-05-07.docx export (12).xlsx -> Blue-Ledger_Monthly-Close_AP-Export_2026-05.xlsx Screenshot 2026-05-09 at 14.22.10.png -> Cedar-Labs_App-Redesign_Screenshot_Checkout-Error_2026-05-09.png render_final_final.mp4 -> Brightline-Co_Product-Launch_Video-Ad_30s_v4.mp4 Return only the filename, with no explanation.
Rename first, then route
Once names are stable, Rules in watched folders can move and tag files after renaming. They test the finished name and file properties, not the content. Keep the first Rules narrow and hold unreadable files for review. On Windows, tags reach the file properties only for formats that can hold them; PDFs keep them in NameQuick's History.
Files arrive in a client inbox
New files land in Downloads, Desktop, a scanner folder, a shared client folder, or a project inbox.
NameQuick suggests client/project names
NameQuick uses the selected filename format or written instructions to extract client, project, type, date, status, version, period, or asset context.
You preview the batch
Review the suggested names, especially anything carrying your Needs-Review marker and any legal, financial, or client-facing deliverable.
Rules route renamed files
In watched folders, Rules move files into client/project folders after renaming and set tags for type, status, or workstream (Finder tags on Mac).
Folders stay readable
Client folders become easier to scan, search, share, archive, and hand off without turning your file manager into a CRM.
| Rule | Trigger or condition | Action | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Client root routing | After a file is renamed: name matches ^Northstar-Books_ | Move the file into the folder Clients/Northstar-Books (one Rule per client; there is no {client} token) | Northstar-Books_* -> Clients/Northstar-Books/ |
| Project routing | Name contains Cedar-Labs_App-Redesign | Move the file into the folder Clients/Cedar-Labs/App-Redesign (one Rule per project) | Cedar-Labs_App-Redesign_* -> Clients/Cedar-Labs/App-Redesign/ |
| Signed documents | Name contains _Signed (Rules read the finished name, not the document status) | Move the file into the folder Legal/Signed and use Set tags to add the tag Signed | SOW_2026-04-18_Signed.pdf |
| Needs review | Name contains Needs-Review (a marker your Preset writes) | Do not move the file; use Set tags to add the tag Needs Review | Needs-Review_export.csv |
| Reports and exports | Name contains Report, Export, CSV-Export, or a period such as 2026-Q2 | Move the file into the folder Reports and use Set tags to add the tag Report (there is no {period} token; for one folder per period, use one Rule per period) | Blue-Ledger_Retail-Audit_Financial-Review_2026-Q2.xlsx |
| Creative assets | Type is jpg, png, mp4, mov and name contains Video-Ad, Hero-Image, Screenshot | Move the file into the folder Assets and use Set tags to add the tag Creative (there is no {assetType} token) | Brightline-Co_Product-Launch_Video-Ad_15s_v5.mp4 |
| Client approvals | Name contains Approval, Approved, Client-Approval | Move the file into the folder Approvals and use Set tags to add the tag Approved | Harbor-Studio_Q2-Retainer_Client-Approval_2026-05-14.pdf |
Example folder structures
Organize by client, then project
Use this when client and project context are the most important ways to retrieve files later.
Naming emphasis: {client}_{project}_{documentType}_{date}_{statusVersion}
NameQuick organizes files. It is not your client source of truth.
NameQuick creates readable, consistent filenames for local files on Mac and Windows, and makes client work easier to find, review, archive, and hand off. Route uncertain, client-facing, legal, financial, or confidential files to review instead of burying them in an archive, and keep your CRM, project management tool, DMS, or client portal as the source of truth for decisions and approvals. For these files it does not:
- Replace a CRM or project management system
- Decide which client document is legally or commercially final
- Approve contracts, SOWs, invoices, or deliverables
- Replace a DMS for retention, permissions, audit trails, or collaboration
- Guarantee that the AI read every important detail correctly
- Replace human review for client-facing, legal, financial, or confidential files
Common questions
How do I organize client files without a DMS?
Use a predictable folder structure and rename files with client, project, document type, date, and status. NameQuick helps by reading file contents, previewing suggested names, and applying batch renames before rules move or tag files.
Can NameQuick rename client PDFs based on content?
Yes. NameQuick can read PDF text, and for scanned PDFs the AI model reads the text from the page image, to suggest names based on client, project, document type, date, status, and other visible context. Preview results before applying them to important files.
Can it handle Word, Excel, screenshots, images, and videos?
Yes. The workflow can cover mixed client folders with Word docs, Excel sheets, CSV exports, screenshots, images, and videos. The useful fields depend on what is visible in the content. NameQuick reads large spreadsheets as a sample. Videos go to the model as media with Managed and, with your own key, only with Gemini; local models do not take videos.
Does NameQuick replace a CRM or project management tool?
No. NameQuick organizes local files on your Mac or Windows PC. Keep your CRM, project management tool, DMS, or client portal as the source of truth for client relationships, tasks, decisions, and approvals.
What should I do when NameQuick is not sure about a client or project?
Do not let it guess: in a Filename template, set If not found to Skip file so the file waits on the Review screen, or use Use text with your own marker such as Needs-Review. Start watched folders with Review first and only let Rules route files automatically once the naming pattern is reliable.
Is this safe for confidential client files?
Use conservative filename patterns, avoid sensitive identifiers, preview before applying changes, and choose AI settings that match your privacy requirements. NameQuick helps with organization, but you remain responsible for confidential client handling.
Make one messy client folder readable
Rename 30 client files free. NameQuick reads each PDF, doc, export, screenshot, image, and video, and with Apply suggestions from files you add set to Review first, shows every name before it is applied.