--- title: "Business Brain Naming Conventions — Set It Up Once" description: "A practical naming contract that keeps Obsidian notes findable, sortable, linkable, and useful to AI." author: "Matthew D Nye" created: "2026-08-26" status: "ready" tracker: "https://github.com/infinitewealthbuilder/aidvisor-boost-system/issues/2530" tags: [aintrepreneurial, business-brain, naming-conventions, obsidian, retrieval] --- # Business Brain Naming Conventions — Set It Up Once A Business Brain becomes valuable when you can find the right context without remembering where you put it. Naming conventions make that possible. The goal is not to create perfect filenames. The goal is to make each note understandable to three readers: 1. **You today** — you can tell what the file contains before opening it. 2. **You later** — you do not need to remember the wording you used months ago. 3. **Your AI tools** — they can retrieve the right source, distinguish one artifact from another, and cite the correct file. Good names turn a folder into a system. Inconsistent names turn it back into a pile. ## Why naming matters A useful naming convention does five jobs: - **Findability** — predictable words make search work. - **Sort order** — ISO dates put historical notes in chronological order automatically. - **Meaning** — the name tells you whether a file is a transcript, verified note, decision, or SOP. - **Linking** — paired files can share one stable stem, so their relationship is obvious. - **Portability** — plain, predictable filenames still work outside Obsidian and with a different AI tool. Naming is part of information architecture, not decoration. It reduces the number of guesses a person or AI must make before using a file. It is **not** a security boundary. A well-named confidential file is still confidential. Do not put sensitive personal, health, financial, legal, personnel, or client details in a filename unless your policies explicitly allow it. Filenames can appear in search results, sync logs, backups, and links. ## The default formula Use this order when a note represents something that happened on a date: ```text YYYY-MM-DD-type-subject-artifact ``` Example: ```text 2026-08-25-sales-call-acme-discovery-transcript 2026-08-25-sales-call-acme-discovery-note ``` Those two files share the same stem: ```text 2026-08-25-sales-call-acme-discovery ``` Only the final word changes. That makes the source and the useful note easy to pair without pretending they are the same thing. ### What each field means | Field | Purpose | Rule | |---|---|---| | `YYYY-MM-DD` | When the event or decision happened | Use the real date in ISO order. Omit it for evergreen files. | | `type` | What kind of thing this is | Use a short term from your approved vocabulary. | | `subject` | What the note is about | Use a stable topic, project, offer, or approved internal alias. | | `artifact` | What this particular file contains | Use it when files could otherwise be confused: `transcript`, `note`, `decision`, `sop`, `loop-audit`. | Not every filename needs every field. An evergreen SOP does not need a date. A single offers index does not need a subject. Use the shortest pattern that still removes ambiguity. ## The seven rules ### 1. Use lowercase kebab-case Use lowercase words separated by hyphens: ```text monthly-close-sop ``` Avoid spaces, mixed capitalization, underscores, and decorative punctuation: ```text Monthly Close SOP monthly_close_SOP Monthly-Close-(FINAL!) ``` Lowercase kebab-case is easy to scan, search, link, and move between operating systems. The starter pack's fixed root guides — `OBSIDIAN-SETUP.md`, `START-HERE.md`, `NAMING-CONVENTIONS.md`, and `README.md` — and a tool's reserved auto-load files or paths — such as `CLAUDE.md`, `AGENTS.md`, or Cursor's rules path — are intentional exceptions. Keep those exact names because the tool or pack, not this convention, defines them. Use lowercase kebab-case for the business notes you create. ### 2. Put dates first only when the date matters Use `YYYY-MM-DD` for calls, meetings, decisions, audits, and other historical events: ```text 2026-08-25-client-call-renewal-note 2026-08-25-stop-weekend-appointments ``` Do not date evergreen files that should keep one stable name: ```text monthly-close-sop offers prompt-library ``` If an evergreen process changes, record the update date inside the note. Rename the file only when its identity actually changes. The workshop's guided first Loop Audit is the one historical exception: copy the blank `loop-audit` worksheet and save that first completed copy as `first-audit`, as the workshop directs. Keep the blank worksheet unchanged. Date later completed audits so the quarterly history remains intact. ### 3. Choose a small vocabulary and reuse it Pick one term for each recurring type. For recorded calls, a practical starter set is: ```text sales-call coaching client-call work-session presentation ``` Do not rotate among `sales-call`, `discovery`, `prospect-chat`, and `intro-meeting` when they mean the same type in your business. Put the specific topic in the subject field instead: ```text 2026-08-25-sales-call-acme-discovery-note ``` The vocabulary can evolve, but change it deliberately. One agreed word beats five clever synonyms. ### 4. Use a stable subject The subject should survive longer than the current task. Good subjects are a project slug, offer name, process name, neutral topic, or policy-approved internal alias. ```text quarterly-planning referral-training monthly-close client-042 ``` Avoid names that depend on memory or changing status: ```text that-big-call urgent-client new-project current-version ``` For confidential work, use only an alias your organization has approved. A code in a filename does not make the contents anonymous or safe. ### 5. End paired files with the artifact type When one event produces more than one file, keep the stem identical and change the suffix: ```text 2026-08-25-sales-call-acme-discovery-transcript 2026-08-25-sales-call-acme-discovery-note 2026-08-25-sales-call-acme-discovery-follow-up ``` Do not use `final`, `latest`, `new`, or `v2` as identity: ```text acme-notes-final-v2-really-final ``` Put workflow status and revision history inside the note. Keep the filename stable so links do not break every time the work advances. ### 6. Name for retrieval, not for description A filename is a label, not a paragraph. Include the few words you would actually search for. Put the full context inside the note. ```text 2026-08-25-coaching-quarterly-planning-note ``` is better than: ```text 2026-08-25-coaching-call-where-we-talked-about-q4-goals-hiring-and-the-new-offer-note ``` ### 7. Do not silently change the contract Write the convention down, test it on real notes, and change it only when the current rule creates a specific retrieval problem. A convention that changes every week is not a convention. ## Patterns for the Business Brain folders Obsidian adds the `.md` extension when you create a note. Enter the titles below without `.md`. | Folder | Pattern | Example | |---|---|---| | Vault root | fixed guide name | `OBSIDIAN-SETUP`, `START-HERE`, `NAMING-CONVENTIONS`, `README` | | `00-Operating-Instructions` | keep the neutral `operating-instructions` template; install a copy at the tool's exact auto-load name or path | root `CLAUDE.md`, root `AGENTS.md`, or the tool's documented rules path | | `01-Decisions` | `YYYY-MM-DD-title` | `2026-08-25-stop-weekend-appointments` | | `02-SOPs` | `process-name-sop` | `monthly-close-sop` | | `03-Meetings` | ordinary note `YYYY-MM-DD-meeting-topic`; recorded pair `YYYY-MM-DD-type-subject-artifact` | `2026-08-25-meeting-quarterly-planning`, `2026-08-25-sales-call-acme-discovery-note` | | `04-Offers` | stable offer or index name | `offers`, `catch-up-cleanup-offer` | | `05-Prompts` | stable library or use-case name | `prompt-library`, `proposal-draft-prompt` | | `06-Workflows` | `workflow-name` | `discovery-follow-up` | | `07-Loop-Audits` | blank `loop-audit`; guided first copy `first-audit`; later `YYYY-MM-DD-loop-audit-scope` | `first-audit`, `2026-09-30-loop-audit-client-onboarding` | | `08-Operators` | `operator-name` | `operator-meeting-follow-up` | These patterns extend the folder map already in the Business Brain Template Pack. They do not replace it. `00-Operating-Instructions/operating-instructions.md` is the portable source template. If you connect the Brain to an agent runtime, copy its completed content to the exact filename and location that runtime auto-loads. Do not rename a reserved runtime file to fit lowercase kebab-case. ## Good names and weak names | Weak | Better | Why | |---|---|---| | `call-notes` | `2026-08-25-sales-call-acme-discovery-note` | Adds date, type, subject, and artifact. | | `Transcript 8-25` | `2026-08-25-client-call-renewal-transcript` | Sorts correctly and says what it is. | | `SOP-final-v3` | `monthly-close-sop` | Keeps one stable identity; revision data belongs inside. | | `Decision` | `2026-08-25-stop-weekend-appointments` | Makes the decision retrievable later. | | `John Smith medical issue` | `client-042-review-note` | Avoids sensitive detail in the filename; use only an approved alias. | | `misc` | move it to the correct folder and name the subject | A catch-all name hides context from people and AI. | ## Set it up properly ### Step 1: Write down your approved vocabulary Start with only the recurring types you already use. For the recorded-call workflow, copy this list and remove anything that does not apply: ```text sales-call coaching client-call work-session presentation ``` Add a new type only when an existing type would make retrieval misleading. ### Step 2: Choose how you will represent confidential subjects Decide whether filenames may contain a company name, a neutral topic, or an approved internal alias. Follow the strictest policy that applies to the information. Never invent a casual alias and assume that makes regulated or client-confidential material safe. ### Step 3: Save the contract in the vault Keep this file as `NAMING-CONVENTIONS.md` at the root of `Business-Brain`. It should sit beside `OBSIDIAN-SETUP.md` and `START-HERE.md` so a person or AI can find the rule before creating more files. ### Step 4: Pilot the rule on five notes Name one real note, then the next four. Search by date, type, subject, and artifact. Confirm that: - the files sort as expected; - the transcript and useful note are obviously paired; - the same call type is always spelled the same way; - the title reveals enough without exposing sensitive details; and - someone who did not attend the call can predict what each file contains. Fix the rule if the pilot reveals a real ambiguity. Do not bulk-rename an existing library before the new pattern works on a small set. ### Step 5: Use the convention every time The habit is simple: ```text choose folder → apply pattern → use approved vocabulary → create note → link related source ``` Consistency matters more than cleverness. ## Copy-paste naming contract Keep or adapt this section at the top of your `NAMING-CONVENTIONS.md` file: ```markdown # Business Brain Naming Contract ## Default dated pattern YYYY-MM-DD-type-subject-artifact ## Format rules - Use lowercase kebab-case. - Use YYYY-MM-DD only when the date matters. - Use one approved word for each recurring type. - Use a stable topic, project slug, offer name, or approved internal alias as the subject. - Use transcript, note, decision, sop, loop-audit, or operator when the artifact needs clarification. - Keep paired source and derived files on the same stem. - Put status and revision history inside the note, not in final/latest/v2 filenames. - Never put secrets or unapproved sensitive details in a filename. ## Approved call types - sales-call - coaching - client-call - work-session - presentation ## Recorded-call pair YYYY-MM-DD-type-subject-transcript YYYY-MM-DD-type-subject-note ## Stable folder patterns - 01-Decisions: YYYY-MM-DD-title - 02-SOPs: process-name-sop - 03-Meetings: use YYYY-MM-DD-meeting-topic for one ordinary note; use YYYY-MM-DD-type-subject-artifact for recorded source/note pairs - 06-Workflows: workflow-name - 07-Loop-Audits: keep loop-audit blank; use first-audit for the workshop's guided first copy; save later audits as YYYY-MM-DD-loop-audit-scope - 08-Operators: operator-name ``` ## If you already have inconsistent names Do not start with a blind bulk rename. 1. Freeze the new convention for files created from this point forward. 2. Inventory the old names before changing them. 3. Rename one connected set inside Obsidian, not in a separate file manager. 4. Check its wiki links, source links, backlinks, and any external references. 5. Continue only after the renamed set still retrieves correctly. Old notes can remain imperfect until you touch them for real work. A safe convention applied going forward is more valuable than a risky cleanup that breaks working links. ## The ten-second check Before you create a note, ask: - Is it in the right folder? - Is the date in `YYYY-MM-DD` if the date matters? - Is every word lowercase and separated by hyphens, unless this is a fixed root guide or a tool-reserved auto-load name or path? - Did I use the approved type and subject vocabulary? - Can I distinguish the source from the derived note? - Did I keep sensitive detail out of the filename? - Will this name still make sense after the work is no longer new? If yes, create it and move on. For the full recorded-call workflow, open `START-HERE.md` in the downloaded Business Brain or use the [Recorded Calls to Obsidian quick start](https://aintrepreneurial.com/downloads/recorded-calls-obsidian-quick-start.md).